His Ashtray Heart
by dr.Tea
Summary: POST-Avengers. Loki has escaped from Asgard. But why does he choose to turn to Tony for help?
1. Prologue

This fiction is set before/instead of Iron Man 3, and before Thor 2. Hopefully you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If this receives a good feedback, I have a mind to write a sequel. It's rated M for sexual content, swearing, torture… Well, all good things really.

Now, enjoy.


	2. Chapter 1

At first it was just a threat, but lies are truths, and truths are lies.

_a frostiron fanfiction_

**His Ashtray Heart**

by goodbye-mr-president

Chapter 1

Tony woke up that morning, same as ever. His heart beating way too fast, sweat covering his body, his muscles tense... You know, all the things you don't want early in the morning. Sitting up, he dried his forehead with the back of his hand. He hated waking up like this. Sure, he was used to stress and all of that, but this was just getting ridiculous. It had been a whole year since New York... He shook his head to get the images out of his head. He couldn't forget. Couldn't. Erase. The room was dark, the only light coming from his arc-reactor. The curtains were closed, so the weak twilight didn't really help.

"Mm... Tony..." he heard someone mumble beside him, and it startled him even more. Holy hell he was jumpy in the mornings. It was just Pepper. Tony sighed, and tried to pull himself together. He was Iron Man for God's sake.

The nightmares were the main reason why he had regretted it so much when he agreed to Pepper moving in with him. What the hell had he been thinking? He knew he should be talking to her about it, but he also knew she would just worry. Or make him see a psychologist, heaven forbid. He had always been a lonely soul, used to deal with problems on his own. But if this paranoia didn't calm down soon, he would go crazy. Rather seek professional help than die as young as his heart was set on now.

He slipped out of the bed as silently as he could, even though Pepper would complain about him leaving her. But Tony didn't really feel like cuddling up beside her right now. And she did little but complain in the first place. It was sad to admit, but it seemed their whole relationship was built on him doing something stupid, and her trying to fix his mistake. He couldn't even remember the last time they had a proper conversation that didn't end in an argument. How stupid. They were just like a couple from one of those silly TV-shows he never bothered to watch. This whole thing had happened way too fast, he thought. Her moving in... He wasn't even sure they'd work together. As a couple, that was. With business, they were the perfect pair. But this... Was she happy? He knew that he sure as hell wasn't. But that was hardly her fault. His sleepless nights were his own fault, he figured. It shouldn't take him this long to put the whole New York-affair behind him. But he still saw it. Burning buildings, a nuke coming in, flying into darkness... Sometimes he would wake with the smiling face of Loki still flashing before his eyes. The laugher, and a promise to destroy earth deep within it. He looked around the dark room, like he was afraid the trickster would actually be there. Stupid paranoia...

He hit the showers, it was still early. Pepper would sleep for another four hours, so he might as well get to work on his suits. It always calmed him down, and kept his mind busy. He wondered how long he would need this distraction.

The moment he entered his workshop, JARVIS was up too.

"_Good morning sir, up early as usual."_

"Couldn't sleep buddy. Anything new?"

"_Yes, in fact, you have a message from director Nick Fury."_ JARVIS informed him, and Tony arched an eyebrow. He hadn't heard anything from the director since they had saved the world. He did, however, often meet up with the team, and considered them all good friends.

"What does he want?" since Fury wasn't exactly the biggest pot of sunshine, he figured it could be no good getting a message from him.

"_He is assembling all the Avengers."_ JARVIS said. No good then.

A few minutes later he had suited up, and was flying (not as fast as he could) to the Avengers Headquarters, which had been built right after New York. Not that it had been used. Tony himself had never been there, and when he saw the building he didn't see that as a great loss. It was big, and looked just like what you'd imagine a secret base to look like. He didn't know how strong the roof was, so he took no chances landing on it. He didn't need Fury to get even more pissy than he normally was. As soon as he got out of his suit, he made his way into the building.

"Sir, I'm gonna have to see some identification." a guard said when Tony tried to go inside with a poker face and sunglasses. He had honestly thought that would work. He just took off his sunglasses and lifted an eyebrow.

"I'm sure you know who I am." he said with a small smirk, and it was funny how the guard didn't look like he knew what to do at all.

"Yes sir." he finally said, and let Tony in. Well, that was one hell of a security, he thought. He had to make sure to compliment Fury on it.

The big building was just as obvious inside. If Steve had called Stark Tower ugly, he wondered what the captain would describe this as. The floor was gray, the walls white. Of course, a secret base of mighty superheroes didn't need to be cozy, but it was real cheap of them not to buy at least _one _painting. Tony decided he would donate some of his stored art-collection.

He wasn't surprised at the feeling this place gave him. He was nervous. His mouth was dry, and he hoped Fury was serving them tea and biscuits to whatever he was gonna tell them. The reason he was so nervous was obvious. He didn't want a mission. He didn't want to go through all of that again. But could he refuse? No. He didn't care too much about Fury, since he was nothing but bad mood, but the others he did care for. He would never let down the team. That wasn't the sort of person he was. And even though he hardly felt like a hero, he felt some sort of pride. He felt honored to be a part of the Avengers. And he wasn't being modest when he thought that (being modest wasn't really a thing that he did). He just saw the others as amazing people who were so much more than himself.

Tony wisled a little tune as he walked down the hallway. Now he was getting depressive. He didn't have to feel like he didn't belong on the team. He had saved New York from getting nuked! He was as worthy as any of them!

Despite never visiting Avengers HQ, he still knew exactly which door to pick.

"So, what's up?" he said, and entered the room, which was (just as he thought) 'the room', because everyone was there. The first person he noticed was Thor. He hadn't seen him in some months, and was happy the thunder god was back amongst them. He didn't look like his normal-careless self though, a dark shadow visible in his eyes. Steve looked less than happy, Banner didn't look like he cared... Barton looked almost bloodthirsty, Natasha saying something to him. And then there was Nick Fury, looking as cheerful as ever.

"You're late." Fury stated. Tony looked about the room, and was disappointed to find no tea and no biscuits. It was fine, he was more of a coffee-person anyway.

"Yeah, got lost. By the looks of it, you started the party without me?" He tried a smile, but nobody picked up on his humor at all. "Seriously though, what's up?" He wanted to ask for some coffee, but somehow the mood felt a bit too heavy.

"Loki has escaped." Fury said, and that was it. Tony was sure the others could see the colour retreating from his face. He was certain they could read the horror that appeared in his eyes before he could control himself. His mouth was now twice as dry as it had been.

"Escaped?" was all Tony could say, even though he had heard Fury perfectly.

"Yes. I am afraid my brother's magic was stronger than we thought. We should have noticed his strange behavior in his chambers before he fled." Thor admitted.

"What kind of strange behavior?" Okay, he couldn't be that late then, since this hadn't been discussed. Thor hesitated to answer.

"He was chasing around, and could never seem to find peace to sit or sleep. Sometimes he would fall to the floor and scream. We thought he was only putting on an act so that his sentence would be reconsidered." Thor frowned. Tony wanted to ask what his sentence was. Life imprisonment, surely. "But by father did not think it of importance, and chose to ignore him. And it was no act. He was simply building his magic to escape. And he succeeded."

"So, you're saying he upgraded his magic or something? Is he stronger than before?" Barton asked.

"We believe so. He would have to be a true master of magic to escape the Allfather's spell." Steve swallowed hard. Everyone was silent. Tony was sweating. He knew he had to look scared, but he couldn't control himself. This was just what his paranoia needed as fuel.

"But you don't know where he is now?" Fury wasn't one to be scared of a potential super-strong magician.

"No, his whereabouts remain unknown. Even Heimdall cannot set eyes on him."

"Do you think he is on earth?" Clint asked the question that was burning in everyone's mouths.

"I do not think he will return here, but we cannot be certain. My brother's mind is not an easy one to read. My father has instructed me to give you this." Thor pulled a bottle out of his cape. Tony wondered where he had been hiding it. It looked like oil or something? "It is a potion that will keep Loki's magic at bain." he explained. "It must be thinned with water. If he is as strong as we fear, your weapons will not be enough, but with this, you can capture him." Well, at least that was good news. Anti-Loki-oil, great! Fury took the bottle, and even though his expression was stiff, it still looked like he had just gotten the best birthday gift ever.

"So, if I shoot Loki with an arrow full of that, he'll be helpless?" Barton looked excited too. Which was a little inappropriate for the situation.

"Yes. And when he is indisposed, you can hold him captive until I come for him, to bring him back to Asgard."

"Let's hope he won't come to earth at all." Banner said, calmly. Tony agreed. He understood that at least Barton wanted revenge, but it would probably be safer if Loki just stayed away from their world all together.

If Tony had been shaken that morning, it was nothing to what he felt going back. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to go home. Maybe he would be safer with the rest of the team? Even though none of them seemed to be afraid. Was it just him? Was he the only one having nightmares about Loki coming to take over the world? Well, Barton had sounded like he had been having dreams about putting that promised arrow through Loki's eye...

To look on the bright side, nobody knew Loki's whereabouts at all. He could be in another world for all they knew. Hopefully he was in better company than last time. Tony hoped he was on a planet full of rainbows and ponies that didn't want the Tesseract or rule earth or kill Thor. The anti-magic-serum helped a whole bunch too.

He wondered if Loki was the vengeful type. In which case, he would definitely come for the Avengers, seeing as they were the ones who had deprived him of his victory. But he probably didn't bother with puny mortals. No, he was out there somewhere plotting out how to kill his brother. Tony felt kinda bad for hoping that.

Was he going to tell Pepper? No way. The last thing he needed was her trying to calm him down. But her living with him right now was probably not a good idea. _If _by some horrible luck Loki did come after him, having her there could only put her in danger. Okay, he was being a bit over cautious now, but who wouldn't? Loki was _crazy. _He was a murderer and a monster, and nobody knew how his mind worked. It was better to be safe than sorry. So, when Tony arrived home, he was already preparing his talk with Pepper.

He didn't want it to seem like he was throwing her out. Even if he didn't really want her there because he wanted to be alone. He didn't want her to recent him, or be mad at him. She was always kind of mad though, or at least irritated. He sighed. Pepper was probably at work now, and wouldn't be home for a while. She normally worked late, and it would be dark before she returned. He used his time fixing one of his suits, even though he was way too distracted to actually get any work done.

The sun had set two hours ago, and the sky was black. He looked at the clock. Almost eleven, Pepper should be back by now. He shook his head. No, she had been late before, this was nothing. He was just being overly worried, that was all. And, what better thing to do than sit down and have a drink. Or two. Or a few more than that. He sat down in the most comfortable chair in his workshop (it wasn't really designed for comfort you know?).

"JARVIS, lower the lights, will you? My head is killing me."

"_Yes sir."_ and the lights were dimmed so that the room became full of dark shadows. He decided he didn't really like it, but hell, he wasn't going to act like a scared, little kid in his own house._ "If your head is hurting sir, might I suggest an early night?"_

"No, I've got something to talk to Pepper about..."

"Something concerning mr. Laufeyson?"

"Oh God don't call him that."

"What will you have me call him then, sir?"

"Nothing. Don't talk about him."

"_Very well sir, you don't want the extra security protocol up and running then?"_

"No, Pepper will notice. As soon as she is gone you can put them up." he sighed. The extra security would make it impossible for anyone but himself to enter any room in his house without the alarm going off. He couldn't have Pepper in the middle of that, she would obviously know something was wrong.

Tony thought his heart was gonna stop. He saw a shadow from _something _standing behind him. He jumped out of the chair like he was getting electrocuted. He spun around, and set his eyes on the intruder. The fear that had been lurking inside of him, jumped to a whole new level. His eyes widened, and he backed away.

Loki's figure was slimmer than he remembered. His long, black hair messy and dirty. His green eyes were so tired, bangs under them and the teasing glimpse was completely gone. It almost looked like he had trouble standing up. But the thing that Tony noticed the most was the sort of wildness about him. Just the way he was slightly shaking, and the way his chest moved up and down like he could hardly catch his breath. He was like a beaten animal. He didn't do anything. He was just looking at Tony with those tired eyes that could have belonged to a dead man.

As if it took some time for him to register that he was standing face to face with Tony, he suddenly pulled himself together. His shoulders stiffened, and a smirk that was less than convincing crept upon the tricksters face.

"Stark..." he said, in a hoarse voice. He probably hadn't used it for a long time. Loki looked almost startled by his own voice, and cleared his throat with an unpleasant sound. He was still trying to smile or smirk, but was clearly having some difficulties. Tony didn't really know what to say or do. Hell, he didn't even know if what he was seeing was real.

"Is this a nightmare?" he asked. His voice was steady. Honestly, Loki didn't look like much of a threat. It looked like he had been through hell and back again. Tony straightened himself up. Seeing as Loki wasn't standing straight Tony wanted to take advantage of that and come off taller than he was.

"Sometimes nightmares are real." Loki answered. He had given up on smirking. His eyes were wandering around the room, looking at nothing and everything, before they ended up on Tony again, and stayed. Burning into him. Green and scary as hell. But Tony didn't falter.

"Well, then please let me wake up." he pinched his arm, but Loki was still there. No dream then. "I'm still hoping for hallucination." he said. Loki was silent. "So, did you come here just to scare me, or do you want to kill me? Or maybe you want that drink!" he tried to get back into his comfy role as the confident Tony Stark. He had been in Loki's presence before. He knew how to deal with him. He couldn't show weakness.

"I am not here to beg for anything." Loki's voice was dangerously low, and Tony could almost feel the sound waves of it hitting him.

"Then—"

"I am here to demand…" Well, this couldn't be good. "Refugee." he finished. Tony arched an eyebrow. He had been expecting 'your soul' or something creepy like that.

"Refugee?"

"You heard me. Do not make me _repeat_ myself." on the word 'repeat' his eyes flashed toxic green. Just that little use of magic seemed to drain him, because his knees almost gave in. Loki had to lean on the table behind him for support. Was he really that weak?

"So, you want me to buck you into a hotel or something? You wanna have my room?" Tony joked. He probably shouldn't joke. It could be the last thing he ever did, judging by Loki's twitching lip. It looked like it took a lot of effort to stay calm. "I don't see why you'd choose me though, I mean, you should go with someone who has no idea who you are and who can't just call in a whole team of mighty superheroes." he had to make it clear that he wasn't weak. He couldn't show Loki that he was scared of him. If this was a power play, then he was going to win.

"I do not care what you think I should have done. I don't have to explain myself to a mortal with some weak friends." he spat. For someone who couldn't even stand up straight he sure was cocky.

"Aw, did you forget? Those 'weak friends' of mine kicked your ass last time you were here?" Okay, that probably was taking it a bit too far. Loki got up from his hunched position and took a few angry steps towards him. He wanted to back away, but hit his desk and couldn't get further.

"Perhaps it is you who have forgotten who I am." he said, just a whisper, but it didn't need to be any louder. Tony took some time, gathering his courage. He also took a few seconds to pray that Pepper did not come home right now.

"You want refugee from Thor? Odin? SHIELD? Who's after you? Well, probably everybody's after you." he managed a little smile to that, but Loki didn't seem to find it funny at all.

"That is not important. I just need to rest." the last sentence probably wasn't meant to be said out loud. He could see from his expression that he was mentally hitting himself, before taking a step back.

"_Sir, miss Potts has just arrived_." JARVIS informed. Loki froze. It looked like he didn't know what to do. Then he looked angry. He turned around to walk away, before turning back at Tony.

His green eyes were burning with something that could be anger or frustration or both.

"She is important to you, is she not?" he asked through glittered teeth. Tony's heart, which was already beating fast, jumped up his throat and tried to climb out. "You will let me stay here. And if you so much as whisper my name to anyone, I will personally peal the skin off her flesh, and the first thing you will see in the morning is her skinless body at the feet of your bed. And you will know that it was all your fault." The room was silent, except for Pepper calling his name. "Do we have an agreement?" Loki's fingertips sparkled with magic, like he was about to make good on his threat. Okay, okay, there was nothing to do but yield.

"Yes, yes, we do. Just don't—" Loki smiled, tapping his fingers against the desk. It left burn marks. But that wasn't all. His other hand was back on the table to support his weight. Tony wondered just how much magic Loki had right now… Maybe he could... No, he shouldn't underestimate him.

"Tony!" that was Pepper coming down the stairs. Tony looked at Loki like _get the fuck out of here. _But he just stood there, still smiling. However, he could see his arm shaking. He was clearly putting even more weight on it. She came down to the glass-door, and Tony knew she was going to die just by the sight of Loki. His own heart had barely handled it. But she didn't. She didn't even look at him, she just looked at Tony.

"JARVIS deny her-" it was too late, she came into the room. Why wasn't she screaming? Loki was right _there_. He looked calm, and even though the main feature on his face was exhaustion, the small curve of his lips said that he found some kind of amusement in all of this.

"What's going on, Tony? Are you okay? You look pale." Okay, she couldn't see him? Was that a good thing? At the moment, probably, yeah. He had to say something. Loki couldn't be that weak then, since he bothered to use magic to conceal himself instead of teleporting away. Maybe that took more effort? Tony didn't know how much magical power his abilities used. Maybe he couldn't run out? He wanted to know, but this wasn't the time.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about leaving so early..." standard really. He had said that sentence more times than he cared to remember.

"It's fine. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes! I'm fine!" his voice was a little bit too harsh to his liking. Pepper looked hurt. "I just... I think I need some time alone." her expression changed from hurt to confused.

"What do you mean?"

"It's just..." _excuse, excuse, come on anything other than 'Loki will be staying here for a while so it's dangerous for you to be her'._ His whole practiced speech had been deleted from his mind. He couldn't remember a single thing he was supposed to say. "I'm working on a new project, and it's making the suits kind of unstable. I don't want anything to happen to you." It was something like that he had planned on telling her. It didn't have the desired effect, because she just rolled her eyes.

"Will you never stop with those stupid suits?"

"They aren't stupid! And I'm just worried about you!"

"Well, if you weren't so hung up on those suits you wouldn't need to be, would you?" she sighed. Loki was holding a hand up to his mouth, obviously strangling his giggling. That piece of _shit. _Wait, did that mean that Pepper could hear him, but not see him? Okay, now he definitely had to get her out of here quickly. "I can't believe you'd rather work on your suits than be with me..." that made Tony sound like a total jerk. He wanted to tell Pepper that it wasn't like that. But he knew that this was better for her, after all.

"Once I'm done we can-"

"No, Tony. Then it'll just be a new project, and a new one. You know what? Until you are done making weapons-"

"They aren't weapons!" he immediately regretted cutting her off.

"That's not even the point! You hardly ever have time for me!" Tony knew it was true, but he still felt like Pepper was targeting him a bit more than she should. Was it too much to ask for that she left the house for some time? He didn't even know how long Loki would be staying.

"You're not exactually keeping your schedule free for my sake either!" he shouldn't have said that. He could see that Pepper was beginning to lose it. She wasn't just annoyed now, she was angry.

"I am just busy doing my job which is to run your company for you while you're at home! I don't even know what you're doing, for all I know you go out and party!"

"You know I am working!" Tony could feel all the stress and frustration coming out. He should not take it out on Pepper. None of this was her fault.

"Sure you are! Those suits are just a hobby, you can hardly call that work!"

"I don't care how you see it! To me it is work! And I can't have you in the house until this project is finished, this is just about your safety, why do you have to get all bitchy about it?" Auch, he probably shouldn't have implied that she was a bitch. But frankly, she was being a bit bitchy now.

"Fine! I'm done with you anyway! You can go back to sleep with anything that moves for all that I care!" That kind of hurt. He didn't want to break up with her! He just wanted her out of the house before Loki decided her voice was getting annoying. He looked like he was enjoying himself, still trying to strangle his laughter. He had to get her out of here. She was looking at him, waiting for him to say something.

"Pepper please…" he tried, but she just shook her head.

"I think we both need some time to ourselves. Goodbye, mr. Stark." The cold way she said the name she had been calling him by all these years she had been working for him gave him chills. It felt like it was really over. But it couldn't be. It wasn't! As soon as this was over he would explain it to her, and everything would be fine again. Right now, her safety was top priority. So he didn't answer her, and didn't try to stop her when she turned around and walked out of the room.

The moment the door closed, Loki removed his hand and the sound of his chuckle made it into the room. God what an annoying sound! He wanted to punch him in the face. He felt so bad about letting Pepper go like that.

"JARVIS, where is Pepper?"

"_Miss Potts is currently packing her belongings, sir." _so he had to stay here for a while then. He suddenly felt a million years old, and had to sit down in the chair again. Loki looked at him with interest. He didn't like that look.

"Congratulations, you've now fucked up the one thing that made my life tolerable." that seemed to annoy Loki for some reason.

"Oh yes, your life must be so difficult." he spat. Yeah, compared to his life, Tony's must seem like luxury. Being hunted by both SHIELD and Asgard probably wasn't easy. But he had dug his own grave. If anything, he deserved it. And now Tony was going to help things get easier for him? Why had he chosen him? Tony sighed, sinking even further down in the chair.

"Let's just not talk, okay? I have to let you stay here, but I don't have to like it, and I don't have to talk to you. Once Pepper is out, I'll show you to one of the guest-rooms and you can stay there." Loki didn't like to be told what to do. But Tony just didn't give a fuck.

"Very well. I did not choose you to have conversations anyway." Loki said. Oh, so that meant there was a reason he chose him? It wasn't just random? Of course it wasn't. Nothing was random when it came to Loki. He planned and plotted.

His fingers weren't sparkling anymore. He seemed to be leaning even heavier on the table than before. A wild idea of putting on his suit and fighting him appeared. Loki wasn't looking at him.

"_Sir, miss Potts has left."_

"Yeah... Thanks." he looked at Loki, who tilted his head to the side. He really didn't look much like the god of mischief right now. But Tony knew better than to underestimate him. He could probably murder him long before he could as much as call for his suit. "Come on, I'll show you to the guest-room." Loki got up, like he hadn't really been aware of his tiredness. He followed behind Tony in silence.

The room wasn't small by any means, but it was nothing to the master bedroom. It had a double bed, a desk, a closet and a huge TV. Even though Tony never had guests, he still wanted each room to be by high standards. It even had its own bathroom. Well, thank God (no he should probably thank the architects) for that. The last thing he needed was going to the bathroom to find Loki in the showers. He shivered at the thought. "Probably better than your cell in Asgard, huh?" Loki didn't answer. Tony turned around to see his expression, but there was nothing to read from it. Loki just looked at the bed. He wanted to rest, that much was certain. "If you need to fix the lighting or anything, just talk to JARVIS."

"_Yes, at your service, mr. Laufeyson." _Loki flinched at the name.

"Machine, my name is Loki." he said, coldly. Tony thought about it for a moment. Thor's last name was Odinsson, obviously because he was the son of Odin, but Loki wasn't a true son of Odin. Thor had told them all about his true parents. He was the son of a frostgiant. Of Laufey. By his reaction to the name, Tony would say he didn't care much for his bloodline.

"_Sir?"_

"Yeah, it's fine, just call him Loki, I won't get jealous."

"_Thought never occurred, sir."_

"Enough flirting now, JARVIS." Loki had taken a few steps towards the bed. "Well, goodnight." okay, that was weird. Saying goodnight to the trickster god. Loki didn't answer, and Tony left him, closing the door quietly. Hopefully he would fall into a deep sleep and never wake up. Maybe he could try and take him down when he was sleeping? Lots of ideas flew through Tony's mind. There was just one problem. He had made a deal. Yes, it was made with Loki, who would sell his mother without a second thought. But it was still a deal, and Tony wouldn't be the one to break it. Not yet at least. And he couldn't be sure how weak Loki really was. If he underestimated him and made a move, Pepper could die. It wasn't worth the risk. As long as he behaved and didn't try to take over the world, having him as a guest shouldn't be that bad. They didn't even need to see each other. Tony would be in his workshop, and Loki would be... Well anywhere else really.


	3. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Tony didn't get a good night's sleep, mainly because he was paranoid about a certain trickster murdering him in his sleep. So, when he woke up, he felt like shit. He half-zombied into the bathroom for a cold shower. He guessed this was how Steve started his mornings. Being a wet and cold zombie was no better, so he hoped maybe a cup of coffee could cure him.

It didn't cure him, but it made him feel somewhat better. JARVIS gave him some notes on his company that he didn't really care about. It should have been what people would call a 'good morning', because the sky was clear and the weather forecast said that it would be sunny all day. Tony was actually quite keen on getting out of the house. He didn't know when Loki woke up, but if he was a morning-person, he could come out of his room at any moment. Or, maybe he would just stay in there? It wasn't like he had anything to do. Well, that was as far as Tony knew of course. Maybe he had some schemes to plot or people to murder.

He decided to go into SHIELD-base early. They were going to have a meeting to set up patrols and so on. Tony wondered what it would feel like to face them when he knew where Loki was. Lying to Fury wouldn't be that bad, he was always a pain anyway. But he did feel bad about betraying the others, but he didn't have a choice. This was sort of a hostage-situation. He would just have to apologize when it was all over. The list of excuses he had to make kept growing.

When the suit was finally pressing around him, and the HUD lit up, he felt better. As the morning-sky flew past him he sort of woke up. He took a few rounds over the city that wasn't fully awake yet, before he set his eyes on the base, and headed there.

The normal eye-patchy face of Fury was as unpleasant as ever. Good thing Clint was already there. Tony wondered why he had met up so early. But his bloodthirsty eyes gave the answer away. If there were any news on Loki, he wanted to be the first to know. He was sitting on the couch, occupying almost the entire thing.

"Tony, you look like shit." Was his pleasant good-morning.

"Yeah… I feel like it too." Tony couldn't have hid it even if he wanted to. Clint arched his brows.

"Did something happen?"

"I had a fight with Pepper." Clint was a friend, so he didn't feel uncomfortable sharing information about his personal relationships. Clint puffed up his cheeks and blew out the air again.

"Shit, that's tuff. Especially with all the other shit happening. You okay?" It would be fun to install a shit-detector or something like that on Clint, to see just how many times he said the word.

"I'm fine... She's moving out for a while. I don't know what's gonna happen."

"Just so you know, I'm here for you bro. If you want to get drunk and shit. Natasha will be happy to join." Tony nodded and smiled weakly. He had a feeling Barton wouldn't be this friendly if he knew that Tony was hiding his target.

Steve and Banner soon joined them. They came together, which was unusual, because the captain was usually the first one to arrive, and Bruce the last. They too noticed his foul mood. "He had a fight with Pepper." Clint informed them before Tony could open his mouth.

"Are you okay?" Tony knew they were just being friendly, but he was honestly getting a bit tired of people asking him that.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He lied. Because it was a lie. He was not fine. He was stressed out, and he had a killer living in his house!

"Just let me know if there's anything I can do." Steve said. Tony had always found that caring look he got in his eyes when he was worried about someone very appealing. He put a hand on Tony's shoulder to make sure that his concern got through. It should make him feel better, but it didn't. He felt more and more like a traitor.

Fury was pacing the floor, looking more and more annoyed as Natasha hadn't turned up yet. It was good she got there when she did, because Tony had just begun picturing the black man actually exploding. He tried to conceal his anger, but it wasn't really working.

"Now that _you're all here._" He gave Natasha a I-don't-like-you-you-know-look, before he continued. "Thor is searching in other worlds, so it will be our task to keep a look out here. Even though the chances of Loki returning are slim," No, they're not, Tony thought. "we must guard all the places where he is known to have been. Everybody nodded. The list wasn't very long. "Agent Romanof, we are sending you to Stuttgard in Germany." Natasha nodded. Clint was about to ask if he could go with her, but didn't get the chance. "Agent Barton, you are especially desired by the Board to keep an eye on them. We don't know how much intel Loki has, and they are a paranoid bunch of important people, so you will guard them." Clint moaned, unable to control his disappointment. He was probably of the same thought as the others. That place was the last Loki would appear. "Captain Rogers, you and Stark will patrol New York, with Stark Tower as your main concern." The captain nodded, and Tony suppressed a sigh. "Banner, I want you to start mixing the anti-magic-liquid we got from Thor." Banner nodded and smiled, clearly happy to be off field-work. Fury didn't waste any time, and soon a very professional Natasha, and a very annoyed/angry/kicking Clint (last mentioned seriously had to be dragged away) was sent off to their positions.

"You're lucky you can fly. It's going to be stressful to walk around New York with my shield." Steve sighed. He wasn't too happy about the mission after all then. He always did his duty though. But he probably didn't believe Loki was going to show up. Tony swallowed a lump of bad conscience that had gathered in his mouth. He _knew _where Loki was.

"Not gonna take the uniform?" Tony joked. He understood that Steve would be going civilian. The shield was one thing, but Stars and Stripes was very sprangly.

"Shut up." The captain smiled.

"I do have a suit for you too, if you want one." Tony offered, but Steve shook his head violently.

"I don't want to die."

"It's perfectly safe!"

"I don't want to fly around in something that's as small as me. I like planes, Tony! Planes!" Tony just shrugged his shoulders.

"You're missing out. You need to trust technology more." Steve shook his head again. "How's that smartphone I got you?"

"It's very… Functional." Tony just _knew _he had broken it. Oh well, he would just have to get him a new one for his birthday, which was coming up soon. How old would he be then? 90? He almost laughed at it, earning a strange look from the old captain.

"Nothing, nothing, let's get suited up."

"I'll just… Go civilian, see you tomorrow."

Tony waved as the captain took off. He still felt really guilty. It wasn't mainly because he was letting Loki hide in his house. It was because he couldn't bring himself to trust his team enough. He didn't trust them to be able to keep Loki captive so that he couldn't hurt Pepper.

Iron man flew across the sky, looking for someone he knew he wouldn't find. He loved to fly though, so out of all the missions he could get, this was one of the best ones. He just circled over the city. His presence was noted by the people on the ground. People pointed up at him, and someone took pictures. He liked to believe that just the shadow of him would stop some crimes. It wasn't really appealing to steal when you knew Iron man was right over your head. However, he wasn't that kind of 'superhero'. He was no idealist, but a realist. He knew that it was far too many crimes for him to stop every single one of them. He could help the big puzzle, but he couldn't go in and clean every single piece.

He flew for hours. Hours he spend wondering what he should do about the situation he was in. As he landed, he also landed on the conclusion that it wasn't much he _could _do.

Steve didn't seem surprised when they met up at the end of the day without having seen so much as a sign of Loki.

"I for one, am glad of it." Tony nodded. Yes, it was good to know that Loki kept to his room, or at least stayed in the house. He could have gone off somewhere else, and they would never even know about it though.

The hours of flight had left him with a fact, that he had an issue. Okay, this was more than that. This was a huge problem. What the hell was he doing anyway? The whole world, no, more than one world was searching for Loki. And he was helping him stay in cover. What the actual hell was wrong with him? Of course he had an answer to why he let Loki stay with him. It was obvious. It was to protect Pepper. He could hear Loki's words echo in the room even now. _If you so much as whisper my name to anyone, I will personally peal the skin off her flesh, and the first thing you will see in the morning is her skinless body at the feet of your bed. And you will know that it was all your fault. _Why couldn't he'd just said that he was going to kill her? Did he have to be so morbid? He had thought about just turning him in. Giving him to SHIELD or the Avengers or Asgard or whatever. But if he escaped. Not that it was likely, but _if. _He trusted his friends with his life, but not with Pepper's, and not with Loki's. He needed more information. What was Loki's goal? And who was going to get caught in the crossfire? He knew Loki, and his ambition knew no limit. He probably wanted the world, or maybe just revenge. The two weren't necessary disconnected.

He didn't want to go home, but had no desire to stay at Avengers HQ, because you know… Fury. Home was still home, with or without a crazy god. So that's where he went. Another reason was that he didn't want Loki to think he was afraid of him. He just knew he would use that against him at some point. No, he had to keep going like he wasn't even there.

The house was quiet when he got home. It was late enough for Pepper to be home, but obviously she wasn't. It made him feel empty that there were no-one waiting for him. JARVIS seemed to be the only one who noted that he had returned. That probably wasn't the case, because there was no way Loki wouldn't notice.

Speaking of the devil. His heart made a painful jump the second he got into the kitchen. Loki was standing by his kitchen-sink doing... Was he doing the dishes? Tony blinked a few times, because he was surely hallucinating. He wasn't. Loki looked at him like he had been caught with his hands in the cookie jar. He lifted his hands from the sink, soap covering his slim fingers.

"You know, I have a dishwasher for that. A handy thing you probably don't have in Asgard." he pointed at the dishwasher, before he realized that this wasn't the best thing to say to a super villain who had taken initiative on his own accord to do something so below him like doing the dishes. Loki sneered at him, obviously feeling uneasy in the situation.

"I was in need of a plate, and there were no clean ones left." he explained. Tony was about to ask why he hadn't used magic, but Loki didn't really look like he wanted to answer any questions. His fingers sparkled, and for a second Tony thought he was going to kill him for what he had seen, but Loki just dried his hands with a spell. He slid his fingertips against each other, and looked a tiny bit more pleased.

"Oh, sorry about that. Honestly Pepper does most of that work around the house." he said, trying to get out of the awkwardness. It didn't really work. For some reason, mentioning Pepper made him afraid Loki would do something to her. Like if he just never mentioned her, he would eventually forget. Of course he wouldn't.

"You mean she used to. Before you threw her out." he now sounded like he was enjoying himself. Son of a bitch. This was all his fault in the first place! But Tony didn't tell him that.

"Yeah, sure, she _used to_, rub it in!" he walked to the fridge, taking out something he didn't really want. He had forgotten the reason he had headed to the kitchen in the first place.

"I have angered you?"

"You do a whole lot to me you know. You make me stressed, angry, and every time I see you I feel like I'm gonna die by cardiac arrest. So why don't you do me a favor and get the fuck out of my house?" Loki seemed unmoved by his harsh words. Figures. He was a cold blooded bastard who couldn't care less what others thought of him.

"Is me invading your privacy really that unwelcome?" he was beside Tony in a second. Way too close. Tony wanted to back away, but it was a little hard, seeing as he was caught in the corner by the fridge. "You flee from nothing but my presence. Is this the courage of Iron Man?" Loki was mocking him now. He didn't get any profit from this, just the satisfaction of intimidating Tony. No way in hell he was going to have his way with that. Loki might be the god of mischief, and a mass-murderer. But he wasn't going to scare Tony in his own house. Not happening. Tony took a stand, looking him right in the eyes. They were wild and green and so strange Tony had a hard time looking away now. The eyes were the door to the soul, it was said, but he saw nothing but treachery and schemes in the deep green of his emerald eyes. But they were magnificent. They were extraordinary, like, you could tell that they belonged to a god. "Do you see my soul?" Loki asked, as if he had read his thoughts. Could his magic do that? No, no, that would be... That would be too weird. He thought of a random thing (a condom the size of a train), to see if Loki reacted, but he didn't. He had to be a hell of a good actor to keep a poker face after reading that in his mind.

"You don't have a-" he stopped before the last word was out. Telling him that he had no soul was probably stepping over the line. He didn't know how he would take it. For all he knew, it could be some horrible insult in Asgard. But Loki didn't look angry. He smiled, a different kind of smile. It was secretive, but not evil. At least not as evil as usual.

"You are right. I do not have one. But do you?" he put his hand on the arc-reactor. Tony's heart skipped a beat. He wasn't planning to do anything freaky to it, was he?

"Yeah, sure I have. You know, even though I am self-obsessed and have a huge ego, I do have a soul." he said, and wanted to push the hand away, but didn't quite know how to go about it.

"Yes, yes, of course you have. A soul and a heart. But your heart is in danger." he said, frowning.

"Nah, not while this is in place." Tony said, patting Loki's hand. He had actually meant to pat the arc-reactor but fuck, he had touched his hand a couple of times. Loki didn't seem to mind.

"If this is removed, you die." it was kind of a question. Tony didn't really want to give him any ideas on how to kill him, but he had a feeling Loki knew the answer anyway.

"Yeah. But don't worry about it, I am really careful." Loki's hand stayed put. He now has a soft grip on Tony's t-shirt. The grip was tightening, dragging Tony towards him. Inches away now. Threatening breath on his mouth. Holy hell they were close.

"What are you doing to me, Stark?" Loki muttered as he let him go. Tony didn't know if he was supposed to answer that, but he didn't get the chance anyway. Loki had teleported, presumably back to his room. Okay, that had been weird. That had been more than weird. Just what the _hell _had that been all about?

After the incident by the fridge, Tony had felt a bit weirded out. Although that was an understatement. In all honesty he could hardly think of anything else. The main reason wasn't because it had been scary or uncomfortable (it hadn't exactly been _comfortable, _but still). He wondered what Loki had meant. _What are you doing to me? _That's what he had said. Tony couldn't remember doing anything to Loki. He was dying to ask him, but asking Loki about anything was out of the question. Tony had made a few notes on Loki's personality. The first and most important one was; he is unpredictable. Thor had been absolutely right when he had said that Loki's mind wasn't an easy one to read. Even though Tony's main field of interest was in technology and not people, he couldn't help but be fascinated by him.

His interest scared him, because he knew that getting involved with the trickster was a very, very bad idea. But then again, Tony's ideas weren't always of the safest sort. Even if Tony had wanted to study Loki further, it seemed impossible, because he did not come out of his room at all.

"_Sir, we have a call from agent Barton." _Tony wasn't surprised, because Clint called a lot when he was out on patrol.

"Connect."

"Tony! How's it going? Have you seen any signs of Loki?" The archers enthusiastic voice shouted in his ear. JARVIS was considerate enough to turn down the speakers.

"You know, you don't have to call me every day, if I know something, I'll tell you." Tony took a loop just because he was bored.

"That's not nice! I asked you how it's going, don't I get credit for checking up on my teammates?" He rolled his eyes, and figured he should call Natasha and make her shut Clint up.

"Thanks, I'm sure you care a lot. Everything is fine over here, you know, I fly eight hours a day, no big deal."

"At least you get to fly. Poor Steve." Tony laughed a bit, because yes, poor Steve.

"He's surrounded by fans, I don't think he gets to patrol much."

"I can totally picture it. I wonder how many kids he can carry on his back at once." Clint said. "But I got to go, got a shitty board to protect you know. You'll tell me if something happens, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll tell you." Tony knew he was lying, but it couldn't be helped.

"Don't forget!" Clint warned him.

"I won't forget. JARVIS, make sure to remind me of calling Clint if something happens."

"_Yes, sir. Agent Barton, please don't worry, mr. Stark will be reminded of his promise."_

"Is _he _listening to our conversation?!" Clint shouted into the phone, and JARVIS turned the volume down ever further.

"Of course, he runs everything, you know that."

"And here I thought we were having a private conversation…" Tony rolled his eyes again.

"Clint, he's a software."

"_Yes, agent Barton, it's not like I'll take control of this suit and go for world domination." _JARVIS said, making Tony laugh. It almost sounded like JARVIS liked to scare Clint. The obviously scared-to-death archer hung up.

"You might just be my best invention."

"_Oh stop it, sir."_

The times Tony had felt truly lazy—No, that wasn't right. He didn't feel lazy. He felt… Uninspired. He didn't often feel like this. He could probably count off the times he remembered on one hand. He always had a project going. If he finished one, he started a new. But right now, he just wanted to go home, watch a movie while eating pizza. And drink, but that was more of a habit. He wanted to lay on his comfy couch and just do nothing. It was probably because he was exhausted. Not that he had been doing anything very tiring. But his mental state had definitely been on a trial ever since Loki escaped from prison. He had to lie to his friends every day, had to go on patrols which were one hundred percent unnecessary, He barely slept out of fear of getting stabbed or skinned or quartered. And getting Pepper back wouldn't be all easy either. To put it short, he had a lot of shit to deal with right now. Was it so weird that it would affect his creative side?

Some days he would just keep on flying after his patrol was done. Not to save people or look after the city. He just liked the feeling of freedom it gave him. A few moments of every flight he would forget all his problems. But it wasn't working today.

With a sigh he set course for home. With the speed of Iron Man, it didn't take him long to get home. He should probably just check into a hotel to watch a movie. But then again, when he thought about it, he hadn't seen Loki for four days. Not since he had caught him by the kitchen-sink. The images of himself cornered up by the fridge, with Loki's face very close to his own flashed before his eyes. Okay, that had been really freaky. But maybe Loki felt as weird about it as he did, seeing as he hadn't shown his unpleasant self in days? He decided that tonight he would just say fuck it. Who cared? As long as he didn't give Loki any reasons to, he probably wouldn't murder him.

Determined to pretend that he wasn't even there, Tony ordered a huge double-cheese pizza. He hadn't decided on movie yet, but dropped down on his couch and turned on the TV. He hadn't watched anything in ages. Sometimes he wondered how much time he spent just relaxing. It couldn't be more than a few minutes a year. All the more reason why he deserved some slack. He put his feet on the table and sighed, almost content. Yeah, this was a good idea. If only JARVIS could get the pizza when it was delivered on his door.

He zapped through the channels, trying to find something that wasn't news. He didn't need to know about all the placed in the world that needed Iron Man. Iron Man was taking a break now, sorry.

After twenty minutes of not finding anything to watch, he got the pizza. It was very welcome because he was hungry as hell. He probably wouldn't be able to finish the huge thing by himself, but it was nice to be able to eat as much as he wanted. Pepper didn't like him eating pizza, he recalled. Too unhealthy she thought. For some reasons she thought that his heart was weaker than other people's. Pulling out a cheap bear of his fridge he almost laughed to himself. This was about as tragic as he could get.

He was trying to come up with a good movie to watch, when he saw a shadow creep along the wall. To say that his heart didn't jump would be a lie, but at least it didn't feel like it would stop. It was obvious that Loki didn't want to be noticed.

"It's kinda creepy when you sneak around like that, you know?" Tony said. Why he had spoken to him he didn't know. He could've just let him slip past. Oh well. Having the trickster lurk around in his house wasn't really appealing. Loki knew his cover was blown, and stepped into the dim light.

"I was not hiding my presence." He lied.

"Sure you weren't. Sneaking past me in the shadows. You creep." Tony took a big bite of the pizza slice he was trying to consume.

"Staying in the shadows is merely a habit of mine." Loki said, and Tony almost believed him.

"Yeah, I can imagine that. What do you want?" he looked at him to try and find the answer. Loki's posture was composed, but there were still small things about him that sort of gave away the answer. For one, he looked almost a bit uncertain, like the answer embarrassed him. He also cast a short glance at the pizza. "You're hungry?" Tony asked in disbelief. Why was it so weird that Loki ate? Of course he did. Even gods needed food, that was obvious. Tony looked at Loki for response. It looked like he had been caught off guard. He hadn't expected Tony to be right in his deductions. Tony's eyes shifted to the pizza. There was no way he would finish it by himself anyway. "You want a slice?" he asked. He picked up the carton and reached it out to Loki. He could see him hesitating, but took a few steps closer. They probably didn't have pizza in Asgard.

"What is it?" Loki asked, furrowing his brows. He was close enough now to reach out and take up on Tony's offer.

"It's pizza. It's like a… It's normal earth-dinner. It's good." He didn't really know enough about Asgardian food to compare it to anything Loki would know what was. He still looked very suspicious, like he thought it might be poison. But he was clearly hungry enough to give Tony the benefit of the doubt, because he reached out and took a slice.

"And you eat this with your bare hands?" he asked, and studied the pizza closer. Tony put the box back on the table and nodded.

"Yeah." Loki sniffed at it. The smell didn't look like it displeased him. Tony wondered if he would actually eat it. He couldn't say that it wouldn't be weird. Loki, who probably thought that no human-food was good enough for his mouth, eating pizza. But the god opened his mouth, and took a bite. Pizza probably wasn't the easiest thing to eat without looking like an idiot. Especially if you've never eaten it before, and it has double cheese. But Loki somehow managed to bite off a piece without the slightest problem. His teeth had to be really sharp, Tony guessed. The way Loki ate pizza looked like it could be from a commercial. Tony felt a bit awkward, but there was no denying that Loki had a sort of class about his motions. He was a prince of Asgard, he reminded himself. It shouldn't be so weird that he knew how to eat. But the fact that Tony even thought about it was the weirdest part.

It appeared the taste of the pizza appealed to Loki, because he took another bite. The look he sent Tony made him realize that he had been staring a bit too intensely maybe.

"So, your magic can't generate food? That's a shame. It would make you almost useful." Tony joked. Loki didn't take it as an insult, and Tony could see a tiny smile on his lips.

"Of course it can! But…" he stopped his words again, like he wasn't sure if he wanted to share any information about his magic with Tony. "But I require a plate or something of the sort." So that was why he had been needing a plate that time!

"But if you had a plate, what kind of food could you make?"

"Anything I have ever tasted." Loki answered. Tony had to stop himself from asking for some really good asgardian food.

"So you can make pizza now?" Loki nodded as he took another bite. He had almost finished the slice.

"You don't have to stand there you know, there's plenty of room. And I bet you want another piece, yes?" Just what the hell had been going through his mind, Tony didn't know. His heart made a little jump at the thought of Loki sitting down and eating pizza with him. He looked at Loki, who looked surprised, to say the least. Tony moved from the side of the sofa which was closest to Loki to make it easier for him to accept. He stood there for another few seconds, before he made his way over to him. There was something uncertain about Loki's movements. All his movements were normally so graceful and composed, but now he looked like a shy kid.

Never the less, Loki sat down on the sofa, as far away from Tony as possible. It was awkward.

"Have another slice." Tony said, offering the box of pizza to Loki again. Tony was wondering if this was Loki's 'yes day', because again he accepted.

They fell into silence. But the TV saved the day.

"And now, we return to America's Got Talent!" the man on the screen said. Loki was looking at the screen, and it was obvious that he was paying attention. Tony turned up the volume. He didn't really care much for talent shows, but at least then he had an excuse not to have a conversation. He honestly didn't know what to talk to Loki about.

The show started.

"What's your name, and what are you going to perform for us today?"

"My name is Haze Waters, and I will be doing some magic." Tony could see from the corner of his eye that Loki frowned. Well, this could be interesting.

"The stage is yours."

The magician bowed deeply, which looked a bit comical because of his outfit. He looked even more flashy than Loki. Dressed in red and gold. At least Loki kept to more discreet colours. Speaking of Loki's clothes. Tony noted that he was dressed fully in black today. Well, except for his wrist-bands-like-things, which seemed to be made out of copper.

Haze Waters walked to the middle of the stage, and pulled a bouquet of flowers out of his sleeve. Not very impressive. People applauded none the less. Loki rolled his eyes.

"Mortals really are pathetic in their attempts to pretend to know magic." He said.

"So you could do that?" Tony challenged, even though he knew the answer. Loki laughed. It looked (and sounded) strange. When Loki laughed like that, his face looked kind and playful. The way his sharp teeth became visible, and his eyes squinted almost shut. Right in that moment, they could look like friends spending a casual Saturday evening together.

"Would you like some flowers, Stark? Oh my, which ones are your favorites?" Loki asked, still with a smile on his face. It was odd how different he looked when he was in a good mood. He didn't look like the one who had tried to destroy New York. Like the one who had killed agent Coulson.

"Jeez, I dunno… I have gotten a lot of flowers, but I don't know what I like the most."

"I doubt you have received Asgardian ones." Loki's fingertips sparkled, and he soon held a bouquet of flowers in his hands. Tony instantly decided that they were his favorite, because they were much grander than anything found on earth.

The shape of them looked like roses. But the colour couldn't be decided, because it went from deep blue, to purple to red. And the surface of them were changing. It looked like a nebula. Loki leaned over towards Tony to give them to him. Tony laughed at the scenery.

"Thank you." he took the flowers. They were very light. He figured he should put them in water.

"There is no use to give them water, they need Asgardian water to live. But they will look decent for another day or two." Loki informed him, and again Tony got the unpleasant feeling of him being able to read his mind.

The magician on the screen had done a couple of other tricks while Loki had done his. But this was his big number. He asked his assistant on the stage. It was a good looking woman. She lied down in a box, with her head and feet sticking out. Tony wondered if he was going to… And yes he was, he was going to saw her in two. It was once of the things Tony had never been able to figure out how was done, even with his IQ.

This trick seemed to fascinate Loki. If it hadn't been Impossible, he had almost looked impressed when Haze was done sawing her in two. Tony didn't really want Loki to demonstrate whether or not he could do that, so he didn't ask. "Are you not going to challenge me again?" the god asked.

"No, I like my life."

"I could do that without causing you any harm." Loki reassured him.

"I'm sorry, but I don't trust you." Loki's features stiffened a bit. He was definitely insulted. But he shouldn't be surprised. Who the hell would let Loki saw them in two? Despite knowing that he hadn't been rude, Tony still felt a bit bad. Maybe because the mood had been better than he had ever imagined it could be.

"No, of course you don't." Loki mumbled, and Tony knew he was about to get up. Again, Tony had no idea what he was doing.

"Will it hurt?" he could see Loki's mood change again, and he smiled.

"No, you won't feel a thing."

"And you promise?" it was a stupid question. Everything about this was stupid. What kind of idiot would trust Loki like this? His promise was worth nothing.

"I promise." It was something about his voice that made Tony trust him. It didn't sound like he was going to murder him, not at all.

Tony sighed. All he had wanted was a quiet movie-night. Alone. Or maybe with JARVIS. But this turned out to be something else. Loki yawned, and shook his head. "You do believe I could do it?" Tony nodded. "Then I trust you too." Loki said, and took another slice of pizza.

They continued to sit there and watch the stupid talent show.

"Is this show really called 'America's got talent'?" Loki asked as a woman sang very badly. Tony laughed.

"Yeah, please don't judge us based on this." He laughed.

"No, no, not at all. I really do think it is a talent to show up and sing like that, and actually believe you don't sound like someone is dying." Tony laughed again, the god did have a point. "And her sense of fashion, I do applaud it."

"She even beats you." Loki looked down on his outfit, and then back to the screen. The woman was dressed in a green glitter dress.

"I am not dressed in green today. I think my clothes are rather discreet."

"Yeah, except for the copper, boots, leather and silk." Loki smiled.

"I assure you, this is very casual."

"No, Loki, just… no." Tony had no idea why he had just used his name. "That is not casual. You see what I'm wearing. A t-shirt and jeans. That is casual."

"I can't picture myself dressing like that."

"No, I can't either." Tony got a little bit freaked out by the thought. "Just keep dressing like that. Seriously, I don't want to catch you walking around in my clothes."

"Have no fear, I have no intention of doing so." Tony sighed in relief. "Unless it will amuse me, of course." He added.

If it hadn't been for the fact that Loki was a psychopath and a killer and the nemesis of the earth, and Asgard, and probably some other worlds too, Tony thought they could've been friends. At least it felt like that right now. They were sitting there, watching the end of the show. Loki wasn't bad company at all. He was witty and funny, and probably the best commentator anyone could ask for. When they laughed together and joked, it was easy to forget that he was a killer. He wondered what Loki thought of the situation. He had to be enjoying himself. How often had Loki laughed like this? It was like he was forgetting himself. It made Tony relax.

When the show ended, Tony was more tired than he should be. It wasn't late at all. They both went quiet, but this time it wasn't awkward. He could hear Loki sigh, but it sounded content.

"About that food you can conjure…"

"Yes?"

"I really suck at cooking. Would you demonstrate your skill for me… Tomorrow maybe?" He was really hoping for a yes, because tasting Asgardian food would be awesome.

"I will oblige you. Consider it an honor." Loki said.

"Great! I'll clean the plate." The trickster just nodded with a small smile. Maybe having Loki staying at his place wasn't so bad. And maybe, just maybe Tony enjoyed his company.

When he laid in his bed that night, he was wondering what had happened. It felt like their relationship had changed dramatically in just one evening. Unless the moon changed back again, it would almost be like they were friends. This evening he had had more fun with Loki than with anybody else for ages. But he couldn't turn a blind eye yet. This could all be a game. Maybe Loki tried to win him over. But when he thought back to his laugher and his smile, he had to admit it had felt real and honest. But Loki was the god of mischief. He was a very good actor, Tony knew that. But still he wanted to believe that what had happened today was real. And even though he knew he shouldn't befriend him, he hoped that there would be more evenings like this.

This day wasn't half bad, Tony noted. He didn't feel like he was wasting his time as much as he normally did. And of course that had nothing to do with the fact that he was getting Asgardian food when he got home. No, Tony Stark wasn't one to get excited over something silly as that. And he didn't cancel his beer with Steve to go home earlier. No, not at all…

Loki hadn't shown himself yet. Tony had been home for a couple of hours, and he was hungry as hell. But he didn't want to come off too pushy. For all he knew, the trickster was regretting his earlier promise, and wouldn't come out for another week. But that Asgardian food sure was tempting.

After another half an hour he decided to go and remind his cook that it was time for dinner. He knocked on the door that had used to be a bit scary and very unwelcoming. His heart wasn't beating half as fast as it normally did when he was near Loki. He took that as a good sign.

"Yes?" Loki's voice sounded from within.

"I was just wondering when you planned on showing me that magic trick. You know… Food." He could hear Loki snort.

"I will be in the kitchen most presently." He answered.

"Okay, I'll get that plate ready." Tony couldn't say that he wasn't wondering what Loki was doing. But entering the room wasn't something he was quite ready for. He didn't know what he would find. Also, he figured Loki deserved some privacy.

A few minutes later, a 'casual' dressed Loki walked into his kitchen. Today he was wearing a moss green shirt, black leather pants and his boots. He seemed to find the room a bit chilly, because his shoulders were tense, and Tony could see him shiver slightly. The kitchen wasn't cold. The temperature was perfectly normal, JARVIS always made sure it was 24 degrees all over the house.

Tony had set the table. He didn't know how long it would take Loki to make the food, but he sat down on his side of the table anyway. Loki sat down on the other side. It had to look weird, hell it _felt _weird. Eating a casual dinner with the god of mischief. But it was ages since Tony had eaten anything other than fast-food. He was like the worst shef ever, so he would never try anything as ambitious as making anything other than heat-and-eat. How had he survived living alone for so long again?

"Now, what would you like to eat?" Somehow, the question coming from Loki made it sound very generous.

"What are my choices? Is there a menu?" Tony laughed, because this was getting weirder and weirder.

"Anything you can think of. I think I have tasted everything you desire." It was very tempting to ask for something really weird, or something he knew Loki hadn't tasted. Like sushi. If Loki hadn't eaten pizza, he'd probably never had sushi. But he didn't want to embarrass him when he was kind enough to use his magic for something so below him like giving Tony food.

"Your favorite." Tony said. He could see Loki freeze. His lip twitched and his eyes darkened. He almost looked angry, and Tony didn't understand why he would be.

"I… I haven't tasted it in ages. I do not think I can recall the taste." He said, and Tony just _knew _he was lying. Why wouldn't he show him his favorite dish? Was it weird? Was it distasteful to anyone but himself? Or was it something freaky like human-hearts or some shit. "I think a decent asgardian meal will do just fine. I am not dressed for a feast." Loki looked at Tony with eyes that clearly said; neither are you. He chose not to comment on it. If he was honest, he thought Loki's outfit was more than enough for a fine earth-dinner.

"You're the boss." Loki smiled to that. Damn, he shouldn't have given him the feeling of authority. It wasn't the sort of thing you should give a power-drunk villain.

"Indeed I am." He said, and tapped his fingers lightly on the rim of the plate. Tony felt like a kid on Christmas. It wasn't unexpected, because he had always been very curious. Who wouldn't be excited about magic?

Loki's bony fingers tapped the plate again, and this time green sparkles flew from the tips. Tony blinked, and in that split second, food appeared on the plates. It hadn't even made a sound. His look of surprise was very obvious, because Loki chuckled.

If this was a decant Asgardian meal, Tony wondered what a feast would taste like, not to mention Loki's favorite food. It was some kind of meat, and vegetables, and sauce. Tony had decency not to ask what it was. He wasn't sure he wanted to know anyway. What you don't know won't hurt you, and all of that. All Tony cared about was that it tasted absolutely amazing. Like, Loki should totally start his own restaurant. He was about to tell him that, but Loki seemed to be in deep thought. He was barely touching his food. Tony wanted to ask him if he was okay, but then again, he might come off as a bit too friendly. Loki wasn't the social type, and he probably didn't do the 'let's talk about this'-thing.

"With this skill you were probably pretty popular, huh? Or is this something every Asgardian can do?" He was concentrating on his food, but he still noticed Loki's discomfort. God he was hard to converse with.

"My skills are almost unique. I wasn't this skilled when I lived in Asgard. But even had my magic been at this level, I hardly see me getting any credit for it." His mouth was a thin line, and the look in his eyes made Tony regret ever having tried to talk to him.

"I'm sorry." Tony didn't really know what he was apologizing for, and it was rather stupid because he hadn't done anything wrong. Loki nodded in acknowledgement.

"I don't blame you for asking about my past. We live under the same roof. It is only natural that you want to know more about me." That was very generous, coming from him. Another thing also hit Tony. He wanted to know more about Loki, and he couldn't control himself. But Loki was sort of willing to give him information about him, and that was a very interesting thing. He pictured Loki being very secretive, always keeping his cards close to his chest. But Tony now knew another thing about him; he hadn't been acknowledged for his magical powers. "I am afraid Asgardians see more value in physical strength. To them it was much more impressive how strong Thor was." Tony should probably stop him from speaking more about his past, because his eyes were beginning to change to toxic green, and there was a sort of animalistic essence of the way they chased around the room. In the end they were set on Tony, and his eyes burned into him like lasers, like he blamed him for getting him to talk.

"I do appreciate Thor's strength when we're battling." Tony admitted. "But if I had to choose his strength or your magic, I'd go with the magic. Seriously, this tastes amazing." The small compliment seemed to lift the cloud hanging over Loki's mind. He smiled, and it was wide enough for Tony to see his white, sharp teeth. "And this doesn't drain you? I mean, how much food could you make?" Loki lifted his eyebrows, and the superior notion that always dominated his posture was back in full strength.

"Unlimited." He said.

"Awesome! Then we'll have desert, right? No, no, wait… Can you show me the weirdest thing you've ever eaten."

"When you say 'weirdest', do you mean strangest or most disgusting?" Loki wasn't mad anymore. He seemed quite relaxed, and Tony was glad that the mood had changed back to normal. Wait… Normal? Was there anything normal about this at all? He was eating dinner with fucking Loki. That had to be the most abnormal thing he had done in his life. And he had flown into a portal carrying a nuke!

"Most disgusting. It's a soul, isn't it? No, a heart? Ugh!" Tony got the creeps just by the thought. Loki chuckled. It sounded like he wanted to laugh, but controlled himself. Why did he do that? Wouldn't he allow himself to laugh with Tony? Was there something wrong about that? Well, yes, probably. Tony wasn't 'worthy' of hearing his laughter.

"The most distasteful thing I have ever eaten is this." He tapped on Tony's plate, and his dinner disappeared, and was replaced with a head. A snake's head. "A challenge I was silly enough to accept." Loki explained. Tony felt a little nocuous. It wouldn't have been that bad, if it hadn't been for the fact that the snake was still having spasms, and was very bloody. How could a head move like that? "They wanted me to eat a snake's tongue, seeing as I was known as the silver-tongue, still am really." Tony studied the head. He wasn't an expert on snakes, but he knew that this wasn't the type you'd find anywhere on earth. "The challenge soon ended up being the entire head." Loki almost sounded proud. Well, if he had been able to chuck the whole thing down then ey, all bow before him.

"Did you actually eat that? Like, the whole thing?"

"Yes. Do I beat your worst?" Now that was a change. Was Loki actually interested in something concerning him? Was he doing the same thing he was? Trying to find out more about the person he lived with?

"I don't know. My cooking is pretty bad. There was this one time when I tried to fry chicken. I think if I had made the sauce too, I would have been able to kill someone with it." Loki chuckled, once again suppressing his laugher, not letting it out.

"I trust you will repay my favor by letting me compare my dinner to one of yours." Was Loki actually asking him to make dinner? "I might need it as a weapon for my next attack on Earth." Tony could clearly hear he was joking. So he wasn't planning on taking earth? Probably not. Loki was very cautious so he wouldn't joke about it if he had a plan.

"Oh, but you see, I was kinda hoping you would do all the cooking from now on. I can do the dishes." Loki arched his eyebrows.

"Do you think my magic can't do that too?" and the next moment, both the plates (and the cutlery) were clean.

"But… By the sink? You were washing a plate, weren't you?" Why would he do that if he could just use magic?

The kitchen was silent, and Tony could see that the trickster was having an argument with himself whether or not to tell him about the mysterious incident. Tony kind of thought Loki had done enough chit-chat for today. It was a limit to what a antisocial god such as himself could tolerate. He was expecting him to get up now and leave. Or maybe just teleport away, you know, he could do that too. Tony hated himself for the feeling of disappointment that filled him by that thought. If he was completely honest with himself (which he wasn't very often but still he did his best), he would say that he wanted to spend more time with Loki. "It doesn't matter. It's none of my business anyway." He said, giving Loki the opportunity to stay, while not feeling obligated to answer. He shivered. Was he cold? "JARVIS, turn up the temperature a couple of degrees, will you?"

"_Yes, sir." _Loki didn't say anything, but he gave Tony a look that could possibly be categorized as kind. But Loki didn't do kind. Or did he? More and more questions about him kept forming in his mind, and he begun to doubt everything he had thought about the god of mischief.

Tony was a smart person, always had been. A genius really. That's why he couldn't fall asleep that night. He was buying all of this too easily. He couldn't let his guard down like this. Which one was more likely; Loki was spending time with him because he wanted to have a friend and actually enjoyed his company, or; He was planning to use Tony in some evil plan. It wasn't even a question, the latter one was the answer.

So he was being used, and Loki was trying to manipulate him. Nothing new there, right? But why was he letting him? When Loki first moved in he had hated the very sight of him, but it wasn't like that anymore. Tony rolled over to the other side of the bed and sighed. Was he going to give Loki the benefit of the doubt? No, it wasn't worth the risk. But… But… He wanted to know more about him. As long as he remained conscious and on guard. As long as he didn't think for one _second _that Loki was his friend, or that he cared about him, it would be alright. Wouldn't it?

"Queen to B2, checkmate." Tony said and moved his piece to win against JARVIS.

"_Congratulations, sir._" He hadn't played chess in ages. He had played it a lot with his father (whenever his dad had time). He still hadn't lost his skill. But playing against JARVIS was a bit dull, because he had to move the pieces for him. Everything else in Tony's life was as high-tech as it could get, but these chess-pieces were old fashion, cut out of light tree, possibly birch.

It was probably because the room was so lit up that he didn't die of fright when he registered something moving behind him. Or maybe it had something to do with the fact that Loki wasn't that frightening at all. Where was he trying to sneak off to? Tony turned around and set his eyes on the god. He didn't look like he was up to anything. If he had any kind of emotion on his face at all, it was possibly boredom. Despite the fact that they had been rather friendly with each other resantly, he had a feeling the god had been avoiding him. He had a feeling he should just let him be, but he couldn't deny that playing chess against him (and probably beating him) would be awesome.

"Do you play?" Tony asked, raising his brows at Loki.

"I do not see why I should know how to play a game for mortals." was his cold reply, as he narrowed his gleaming, green eyes. Tony was a bit put off by the tone. So he really had asked too many questions last time they spoke. Well, he should've figured. Why did he think he could be all buddy-buddy with the god of mischief?

"It's actually called the royal game, but if you're not up for it..." he said.

"Oh, do you think you can vex me into playing with you?" Loki's plain voice had gotten a hint of mockery to it, but Tony could hear a bit of annoyance too, which meant it was working.

"No, because I know you're too afraid to lose anyway." Tony said, laughing the best mocking laughter he could conjure while in the somewhat intimidating presence of the god. Loki's eyes flashed green with anger, which he controller perfectly, before a slick smile crept upon his thin, pink lips.

"Remember to whom you speak, Stark. I will accept this challenge you place before me. But I do not know the ways of this game, so if you want me to crush you, you will have to explain how it works." he walked over to the table where Tony was sitting, sitting down at the chair opposite of him. His slim fingers picked up one of the pieces of the chessboard, and he studied it with mild interest. It was a pretty handwork. The black pieces were painted, and it was one of them Loki had picked up.

"We can start off with the names of the pieces then. There are sixteen pieces on each side. The eight in the front are called the pawns."

"There are many of them. Does that mean that they are worthless?" Loki asked, and looked at the other pieces. His eyes quickly fell on the black king and queen. He put down the one he was holding to pick them both up. "There are only one of each of these. I take it they are special."

"Well yes, what you are holding there is the king and queen. The point of the game is to protect your own king, while trying to take mine."

"Quite the classic setting then." Loki said with a small smile. Tony looked at him. He looked relaxed, almost calm. His shoulders weren't looking as stiff as they normally did, and it was something about his intense stare that was different.

"I guess you could say that. But let's start with the pawns for now. The first time you move a pawn, it can go two steps, but from then on it can only take one step at a time." Loki nodded, his sharp mind giving him an advantage at understanding the principles of chess. "To capture an enemy piece with a pawn, it must be standing obliquely to your pawn, like this." Tony picked up two pieces and showed Loki how it worked.

"When you say 'capture', I assume you mean slay."

"Wow, dude, it's just a game." Tony laughed, before moving on to the next piece. "Now this is one of two Knights. It moves like this, one square to either side of it, then vertically. Did you get that?"

"Who do you think I am?" Loki frowned, picking up one of his knights to show Tony that he had understood how it worked. He sure looked focused. His eyes narrowing and he seemed to be in total concentration. Obviously he was determined not to make Tony repeat anything. Tony continued on to explain how the Bishop, Rook, Queen and King could move. Loki was a fast learner, and Tony didn't have to repeat anything.

"So, you're all set? Think you can beat me?" Loki smiled, and licked his lips with his silvertongue.

"The question is, do you believe _you _can beat _me?_" Tony was a genius, and Loki had just learned how to play. He wasn't really afraid of losing. Just knowing how the game worked wasn't enough when it came to chess. It wasn't just any board-game after all. No luck would save you here. You had to be able to look ahead, plan and be prepared to sacrifice what was necessary. There was no way Loki could beat him on first try.

"Do you want to be black or white?" Tony asked, ignoring Loki's question.

"I believe you would prefer it if I take black? Isn't it more suitable, me being the 'villain'?" at the last word Tony could almost sense a hint of sarcasm. Tony didn't answer to that, he just moved his first piece. He started with a queen-opening. It was kind of boring, but then again Loki wouldn't know that, since he had never played chess before. Loki moved his king-side Knight out. His eyes were a lighter shade of green than usual, and when Tony looked at them closer, he could see a fire burning in them. Like literally, a green fire. His fingers shot tiny, green sparks of magic, and it looks like he was dying to capture his first piece. Tony moved out another pawn.

Loki took his time, giving Tony plenty of time to stare at him. He didn't really know why, but Loki was really fascinating when he was focused like this. And those amazing, glowing eyes.

"I would appreciate it if you could stop trying to stare a hole in my soul. Because I am afraid I don't have one." the trickster spoke, making Tony snap out of his sort-of-trance. Loki moved his queen pawn one step forward.

"Those can take two steps the first time they go, you know that, right?"

"Of course I do." Loki sneered, taking offence at Tony's underestimating of his abilities to remember rules. Tony just shrugged his shoulders, moving out his king pawn, now having a classic triangle of pawns protecting each other. Loki moved his own king pawn two steps forward, now in the reach of Tony, who didn't hesitate to capture it. Loki answered by capturing his again. He knocked the pawn hard over, like it was a real battle. The tiny piece rolled over to the side, clearly being pushed by Loki's sparkling, green magic. Tony moved out his king-side Knight. He was kind of surprised when Loki rushed his queen over to knock out Tony's queen, putting him in check.

"Doing a queen-exchange are we? That's rather bold..." he said, lifting his eyebrow before capturing Loki's queen with his king. Loki was a weird chess-player. He kept sacrificing his own officers to take down Tony's. Every time he captured a piece he would knock it hard over, smiling at the sound of the piece hitting the board. His movements became quicker and quicker. Soon, they had both lost almost all their officers, both only remaining with a Rook. The only difference was that Loki had more paws, which he (oddly enough) had been very protective towards. Tony knew his only chance was to get a new queen, but before he knew how it had happened his two last pawns were gone. Loki smiled as he got a new queen. He had sacrificed his tower to save his last pawn, which within a few turns had travelled all over the board, and Loki had two queens. It was a crushing victory when Tony's king was squeezed by the two black queens.

"You lose." Loki said, knocking his king over with his queen so hard it rolled off the board, continued down from the table and landed on the floor with a wood-on-wood sound. Loki looked thrilled. His eyes were glowing fiercely, his breath sharp. Tony blinked a few times.

"That was... Amazing. You actually beat me on first try! I never thought that would happen!" he said, and held out his hand. "Good game." Loki looked at his hand, clearly not too sure about what to do with it. "You're supposed to shake it and say 'good game'." Tony explained.

"Is it part of the rules?"

"Well yeah, sort of."

"Sort of? Is it just for courtesy?"

"Yeah, you know how it is, thanking the other for a good game, right? Don't you have stuff like that at your place?" Loki's expression changed from cold to a tiny bit annoyed, the green of his eyes sparkling dangerously. He looked calm, but the small movement of his lips gave his real emotions away.

"Indeed we do have that tradition in Asgard, but I was never very good at being polite." he said, and Tony could clearly see in his eyes that he was thinking about something. Like he was recalling something. Probably memories of himself being an ass. Tony pulled his hand back, but Loki snapped it. "Good game." He said, and his handshake was very firm. Like fucking strong. Like holy hell that hurt please let go of me. And he was cold. Loki let go of his hand (thank god).

"Oh well, it was a good game anyway. You were quite original with your strategics. I would have thought that you'd just let your pawns get captured without caring." Tony said, and tried to feel whether or not he had broken something. Note to self; Loki is strong as hell.

"And why do you think that?"

"You said it yourself, that they were worthless because they were so many."

"After you told me that they could become any piece I desired if I moved them across the board, I have looked at them as my queens. That is why you lost. You failed to see what could have been! You only saw the useless shell in which they were trapped!" Loki's eyes flashed electric-green and Tony could see the building rage in his eyes. Loki suddenly disappeared, leaving Tony with his heart beating like a drummer gone bananas in his chest. Alright, Loki was definitely unstable. He had managed to get himself angry enough to just teleport away like that. Tony knew he always tried to keep composed, like he thought emotions made him weak. The pawns had without a doubt been resembling something else in Loki's mind.

Tony knew he should hate having Loki at his place more, but he didn't. Except for the half-way-heart attacks, and sleepless nights, he was almost enjoying it. It was different. It was something new, and it wasn't boring. Everybody Tony had ever met had been obvious and plain, not able to stand up to his own special personality and wit. But Loki was different. You could never force what he would do, and he was smarter than anyone Tony knew.


	4. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

Loki hadn't come out of his room since he had beat Tony in chess. Or, as far as Tony _knew _he hadn't come out. That sneaky bastard probably could've been standing in his bedroom without him noticing. Tony had stopped outside his room and skulked a couple of times. He had even been so bold as to put his ear to the door, but he hadn't heard a sound.

And now it had been five days. He was beginning to think that Loki wasn't even in there anymore. Maybe he had left without a word. Tony shouldn't be surprised. The other possibility was that he had died of thirst (even though he could generate food, didn't necessarily mean he could do the same with water). It was less lightly, but Tony has his fingers crossed for that one.

Except that was a lie. Even though he wanted to deny it with every fiber of his body, the thought of Loki being gone made him uneasy. He couldn't quite describe it. If he was gone or dead, it would be like losing a very cool blueprint or something. Loki was interesting, and Tony didn't want to go back to the life he had. Wait, did he just think that? Okay, that was taking things a bit too far. He wanted to have Pepper back and live with her! Of course he did! But... Getting to know Loki a little bit more wouldn't hurt. In fact, it could prove valuable in the future, if ever he became SHIELD's enemy again. At least that was what he told himself. The truth was that Tony just wanted to know more about what was going on in the tricksters mind because he was intriguing.

But that didn't mean he cared about Loki. It was better that he just hid in his room. Yeah, the less he saw of him the better- Then why the hell was he standing there ready to knock on the door with a cup of freaking _tea. _What was he thinking? Loki would probably crush the mug and make him eat the pieces. But he still knocked on the door.

"Yes?" a voice answered. Loki sounded busy. He could just drop it now, just turn around and leave and pretend he hadn't knocked. But instead he pushed the door open.

The room was dark, the curtains shutting out what little light still remaining on the sky. Loki was sitting on his bed, a tiny book resting between his slender fingers. Tony wondered how the hell he could read without light. But Loki's eyes soon answered that. They were glowing brilliantly green, almost like traffic lights. It was surreal, seeing his eyes actually _glowing_, casting a small shimmer of green into the room. Loki was looking at Tony, tilting his head slightly to the side.

"I just wondered if you had died in here. I haven't seen you since-"_ since you got so angry you teleported away. _Loki smiled, sharp teeth showing in the corners of his mouth. Was he mocking him already? Tony wanted to hide the tea behind his back, but he already knew Loki had spotted the mug.

"I am well." Loki answered, his smile fading, but his face didn't turn unfriendly. Tony didn't know if he should be alarmed or not. Loki wasn't usually in a good mood. Tony didn't say anything, and silence fell between them. It didn't seem like the god minded. He just kept his gaze on Tony. "Was there anything else?" he asked after a while. Tony shook his head, but figured he kind of had to give him the tea now, because Loki's eyes had started to rest on the cup.

"I made some tea if you want it." he hesitated to see Loki's reaction. There wasn't any, his face locked in a calm mask. Tony put it on his night table. "I'll just be... Leaving." he said, already feeling really awkward.

"What is 'tea'?" Loki asked. He had put down the book, and grabbed the mug in a steady grip. Tony thought it had to burn him a bit, because it was really hot. He had just been holding the handle of it. But Loki seemed to enjoy the heat. It now hit him that Loki had asked him a question. He didn't do that often, like it was below him or something. Tony shrugged his shoulders.

"It's an English-like drink, it really fits with your accent. Personally I prefer coffee, but I had some tea so..." Loki brought the rim of the cup to his lips. "It's really hot you shouldn'—" but Loki took a sip. He closed his eyes, and then drank some more. He really liked heat huh? Green eyes turned back at him, and for a second he wondered if Loki was going to thank him. "You may leave now." he said, as if he had granted Tony permission to escape the room alive. Tony arched his eyebrows, but didn't bother putting up an argument at the missing 'thanks'. This was Loki, and he probably wouldn't thank him even if he saved his life.

Tony wondered why he bothered to go home every day. It wasn't like he needed to be there. He had plenty of other places to be. The Avengers Headquarters or any of the many buildings he owned. If he didn't fancy any of those places, he could always check into a hotel. But, something told him that leaving Loki alone with all his beloved tech wasn't a good idea. He could have JARVIS babysit him, but… No, it was better to do it himself. And the place he preferred to spend his time in was his workshop anyway. Yes, that was what he told himself. But the whole reason he went home was that he hoped he would run into Loki, and they would sit down and watch a movie and relax. It was silly, hoping for something that had clearly been a one-time thing. Tony figured he had to be really desperate for company, when he was hoping for the trickster god to entertain him.

"_Welcome home, sir_." JARVIS said as the suit was detached from him. It was kind of unnecessary for him to say that, seeing as they had been with each other the entire time. But it was still nice. Tony smiled sadly at the thought of JARVIS being his only friend at the moment, since Pepper left and Loki decided this friends-with-Iron-man-thing was a bad idea. Not that he had ever counted Loki as one of his friends.

He came into the warmth of his house, wondering if he should upgrade the suit so that it was a little warmer. He walked over to the bar to get a drink, it had been a long day after all, and he deserved it. He poured the alcohol into a glass and brought it to his lips. The well-known taste of gin soothed his worried mind. He turned around to sit down in one of his favorite chairs, when his heart almost stopped. It had a habit of doing that whenever he saw Loki. It was just something about him in his house that was sort of unreal.

He was sitting in Tony's chair. Tony's. Chair. His hair was damp, clearly he had just taken a shower (no, a bath, Loki was the kind of a person who would prefer a bath). He was dressed in a simple, black shirt and black leather pants (he really had a thing for leather, didn't he?). His eyes were calm, and Tony just knew he had been watching him the whole time. In his lap was that little book he had been reading during his stay. Tony wondered if he was a really slow reader, since he hadn't finished it yet. His heart was beginning to get back into a normal beat, and he cleared his throat, ready to tell the god to get the hell out of his chair. Loki crossed his legs, and tilted his head, waiting for him to say something.

"You're in my seat." He said, and knew it sounded childish.

"Is that a way to treat your guests?" Loki was amused, even though his smile was barely visible.

"An unwelcome guest, yeah, it is. Seriously, get out of my chair." He hadn't really expected Loki to get up. This was the guy who had tried to take over the world, why would he give up something so silly as a chair just because Tony said so? But he did, and without a word he walked over to the other (identical, but not as comfy) chair opposite Tony's. He blinked a few times, before it hit him that Loki was still in the room. The chair was vacant, but was he going to use it? He didn't really feel like enjoying his drink in the presence of the trickster. But he had insisted on getting the chair.

He awkwardly sat down (the chair wasn't warm, which was a little bit creepy), sending an annoyed stare at Loki, who was still having fun. He knew how little Tony enjoyed his company. Or at least he had to believe that Tony didn't like his company. Tony wasn't really sure what he liked and didn't like anymore. What he did know was that having Loki there made him uneasy. And he wasn't even saying anything! Just sitting there, studying Tony with those amazing green eyes- Yes, they were amazing, so what? Anyone would agree to say that eyes that glowed were amazing.

It took him a moment to realize he had been staring into them for a while now. He quickly turned his gaze to something else.

"Seeing something you like, Stark?" Loki asked, and even though Tony refused to look at him, he just knew he was smiling. That smug bastard.

"Your eyes are enchanted, aren't they? It's like you stare into them and they hypnotize you or something?" Tony said. He kind of wanted to know, because that would explain why he almost couldn't look away. He hesitated, but looked back at Loki to see his expression. He was smiling, but it wasn't evil. Amused, yes, but not evil.

"No. I am capable of such a spell, but that would take away the natural state of my eyes." Loki answered. There was no way his eyes were 'natural'.

"Your eyes are glowing, you're telling me that's normal?"

"Yes. My eyes do change with my magic, but it is no spell." Tony looked back into them. Alright, this was weird. Sitting here together, staring into each other's eyes. It wasn't the sort of thing you should do with the god of mischief. Not with anyone who wasn't Pepper really.

Loki got up from his chair, not breaking eye contact, and came closer. "Now that I've told you about my glowing eyes, perhaps you would tell me about this glowing device of yours?" he was very close now, and his hand reached out for the arc-reactor. Tony would back away, but he was sitting so it was kind of hard. Delicate, white fingers soon pressed against his chest. Was he just freaking out, or could he feel the cold from them through his t-shirt? And had they always been that white and slender?

"Eh, not much to tell really… It keeps me alive, and glows, a real pain in the ass in bed really." Why had he just mentioned bed when Loki was this close to him? He remembered the incident by the fridge, and swallowed hard. This was bad.

"I think it would be quite fascinating. I wonder what colour my eyes and your device would make together? What do you think magic and science look like combined, Stark?" Loki breathed out his name, leaning closer. His breath was so close to his ear that he could feel it. It was cold. Why was everything about him so cold? Tony's heart had started racing again, and he was sure Loki could feel it.

"I think it would be quite fascinating, yes." Tony answered, his voice only a whisper. What was he doing? This had to stop now. Loki moved his head so that they were facing each other, except he was way into his personal space. He could see his lips clearly, as Loki licked them carefully. They were red, and looked very tempting in a weird way. A chill crept up his spine. His mouth was only a few millimeters away from Loki's now.

Then Loki leaned back up, towering over Tony with his full height. Good… Yes, that was good. Except that Tony followed him, standing not as tall, but still. A sly smile danced on Loki's lips. He placed his hand on Tony's jaw, and yes, his hand was very cold. But that didn't matter, because he was now leaning down so that their mouths were close again. He wanted it. He admitted it, he wanted Loki's mouth on his now. The god obliged him, closing the little space between them.

His lips were cold and soft and just a tiny bit wet. Tony felt the sensation from it flush over his entire body. He placed his hand behind Loki's head, pushing him deeper into the kiss. He didn't care if he was stepping over lines and rules and whatever. In the moment, all that mattered was the feeling of Loki's lips on his. That was until Loki parted his lips slightly, so that his tongue could slide carefully over Tony's bottom lip. On instinct Tony opened his mouth, and the silver tongue of Loki the god of mischief entered him. Tony couldn't help but let out a moan, even though he tried to hold it back. Loki's tongue slid around his own, and he could taste him. The first thing he could describe the taste as was sweet. But he didn't know what it tasted like. The notion of Loki's saliva being inside his mouth was intoxicating. Tony had French-kissed before, sure, but it hadn't felt like this. He put more weight on Loki's head, wanting more of that feeling. The motion drove Loki deeper into his mouth. He doubted he had ever felt this hot from just a kiss.

Loki pulled away, a string of someone's spit still connecting them. Loki was breathing heavily. Even though he sort of tried to keep his posture, he was anything but unmoved by their action. Tony was so turned on he didn't even know what to do. He needed more. He felt like he was drowning. He needed that cool mouth that should be warm but wasn't on his again. His chest was rising so fast, had this really taken his breath away that badly? Loki leaned down again, and Tony met his mouth with his begging one. Again, their tongues brushed against each other. The way Loki moved this time was more desperate, but they weren't battling. Tony didn't mind Loki taking control. He doubted he could even come close to the god in skill anyway. His pride as a playboy dying as Loki's mouth gave him pleasure he didn't even know was possible.

His legs were shaking, and he was unsure of his ability to keep standing for another round when Loki parted for air. He put his hands on his shoulders, not sure how the god would take to the touch. But Loki seemed to understand, because he let him lean on him. Loki's milky-white skin was glistering in the yellow lights in the room. Had it been this dark the whole time?

"Now, how about we combine magic and science in your bedroom?" Loki said. A cheesy pickup line, really, but it worked all the same. His voice was so deep it came out rusty. If just kissing had felt like this, how would… Oh god. Tony's legs pleaded him to find some more support.

"I think that could work, yeah." Tony finally answered. He tried not to sound too needy, but had to admit it was a complete failure. It was hard to comprehend the thought that Loki had just invited him to sleep with him. And what was he doing accepting it? He was the enemy. Of all the bad things Tony had done… If he did this, it would come out on top. And the thought of it lit a fire in him that only Loki's body could put out. Sleeping with the enemy. It was such a cliché, he never would have figured it was this sexy.

He barely managed to find his way to the master bedroom, and had to listen to Loki's small chuckles from his pathetic stumbling the whole way. When Loki finally closed the door behind them, and they found themselves in complete darkness, Tony's heart was beating so hard he could hear it. Like literally, the sound of his heart beating out into the room. He didn't call JARVIS to turn on the lights like he normally did, because the room had to be dark if they were going to see what kind of light they could make.

And yes, Loki's eyes were really glowing in the dark. It looked like a green fire was burning inside of them. Loki's hands were on his chest again, on the neckline of his t-shirt.

"It's in the way." Loki said, as he ripped the t-shirt open with his hands. Tony knew that it was only in movies that that actually worked. But Loki had inhuman strength, even if he relied on magical power most of the time. The sound of the fabric tearing up gave him the creeps. The crack reached down to his arc-reactor, and soon blue light made it out into the room.

The clear blue from the arc-reactor mixed with Loki's green orbs became a sort of ocean-blue. The light danced on Loki's white skin together with his eyes burning. "It seems you are overpowering me. We can't have that now, can we?" Loki said with a sly smile, as the light in his eyes increased. The mixed light became more green than blue. Tony let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. It was beautiful. It was breathtaking, and it was something he had never seen before. Loki seemed to be just as fascinated, because he let the light in his eyes dance. Go from strong to weak, and the blue-green light went from ocean-blue to strong green, and back again. "I will make you kneel before me in this light, Stark." Loki whispered. "I will make you beg me for more and more until your mortal body can't take it anymore." He unbuttoned the two top-buttons on his black shirt. Tony could do nothing but stare at the smooth skin that was now exposed. It was probably very soft and maybe a bit salty. "And maybe I'll let you touch me, even though I am a god." With a swift motion Loki pinned him against the door, and his mouth was on his again.

His cool breath tickled his neck while Loki moved his attention to his veins. Sucking hard, letting his sharp teeth sink into the flesh. There was nothing Tony could do. He was completely lost in the moment. His arms were on Loki's back, awkwardly clinging to him. Loki pushed his legs apart, allowing them to get even closer. He could feel Loki. He was hard. The god ripped his t-shirt open all the way to the bottom, exposing all of Tony's chest and stomach. Apparently, unbuttoning his own shirt was too much trouble, because in the next second buttons flew everywhere. Loki's body was even skinnier than he had imagined. His pale, moon-white skin was covered in sweat already. He wanted to touch him. Carefully, he reached out to put a hand on his chest. But Loki grabbed it before he could reach. "I said, _maybe I'll let you._" he whispered. There was something about his voice that would make anyone follow his orders. Too mad Tony wasn't just anyone. He wasn't going to let Loki do just as he pleased. His other hand was free, and he quickly grabbed Loki's hair, pulling it hard. The god hissed, leaning backwards to keep his hair from being ripped out. Tony took the chance to make an assault on his exposed neck. Loki let out a surprised sound that could be a moan in disguise. He continued to kiss and suck, while still holding Loki by his hair. "Challenging me?" Loki was smiling. Tony pulled his head down to meet his, and kissed him.

"Yes. I do have a reputation to keep up."

"You will regret it." Loki bit his lip. A taste of copper spilled into his mouth. Tony was about to protest to Loki's warning, but then he was lifted up. In the next second he found himself landing in the bed. Holy hell, Loki really did have inhuman strength. The trickster crawled over him like a predator about to finish off his pray. His eyes were wild, and his breath heavy. All in all it was the sexiest thing Tony had ever seen. He pulled Loki down toward him again, not afraid for another bite. They kissed hard, a lovely, dirty mix of saliva and blood. "You still don't know your place?" Tony didn't answer. He was trying to think of a way of flipping them around, so that he would be on top. But Loki's strength was an obstacle he didn't know how to pass. He wanted to hover over the trickster and kiss and suck on him. He wanted him to feel dizzy just the way he made him feel. "What's with that look? What are you planning?" Loki asked.

"I'm trying to come up with how to turn this around." Loki understood what he meant, and smirked.

"I won't let you." he leant down to kiss him again. Oh god. When he put his tongue in his mouth like that… He really couldn't focus on anything else. Loki's hands had travelled down to his pants, and began unzipping them. He pushed them down from his hips (with a little help from Tony). After some struggling Tony was left with nothing but his boxers, and the ruined t-shirt that still clung to his shoulders. Loki on the other hand was almost fully dressed. Yes, his shirt was open, but that wasn't enough. Tony pushed the shirt over his shoulders, and it slid down, and Loki threw it away. Seeing Loki completely shirtless was much better. Tony drank in the sight of his white, sticky skin. It seemed the god was just as needy as him now, because he had started to remove his own pants.

Loki now lay between his legs, kissing him hungrily. But the friction between their bodies wasn't enough. He needed more. Loki was of the same mind, because he pulled down Tony's boxers.

Despite never having done it before, Tony knew how gay sex worked. And the thought of it made his heart jump into his mouth. Yes, he was nervous. "Oh, and now I frighten you?" Loki had noticed his body tensing. The god smiled as he removed Tony's underwear all together, tossing it into a dark corner of the room.

"Nope." Tony answered, trying not to show that his heart was about to climb out between his teeth. Loki laughed.

"You are a terrible liar. Let me teach you."

"No thanks." The trickster just smiled and kissed him again.

"I won't hurt you." he whispered. "Much."

Tony didn't know what he had expected going to bed with Loki. He probably hadn't been expecting him to take it all the way. But now that he was on the edge of the cliff, there wasn't much he could do. No way he was going to retreat like a pussy. Either way, he didn't picture himself escaping from Loki's strong claws. No. When the god had set his mind on something, he wasn't willing to let it go. And, despite being terrified, Tony loved it. He loved the thrill. The adrenaline flushing through his veins like a hot decease. The sweat that poured out from both their bodies. The hungry bites and slight taste of blood. He loved it, and he wanted more and more. So, he manned up and let Loki continue.

His fingers sparkled in the dim light. For a second, Tony thought he was going to kill him. Maybe Loki preferred corpses, hell, he didn't know. But nothing hurt. He suddenly felt Loki's hand between his legs. It was slippery and covered in some kind of liquid. Dirty magic. He didn't get the chance to question it, as Loki pushed one finger inside. There was no holding the moan back. Mostly, he was surprised by the feeling of something pushing inside of him. Despite how dark the room was, he could see Loki's wide grin. Tony shifted uncomfortable in his position, but Loki pinned him down by pressing his free hand to his chest. That only made Tony struggle more. Loki frowned, and bent down to kiss him. And Tony got lost in his mouth again. Until a second finger was inserted into him. It made him bite down on Loki's bottom lip. The god moaned, and sciccored his fingers to punish him.

It was weird. It was insane. What the hell was he doing? His clouded mind couldn't answer any questions. He could feel his body giving into the new land of pleasure. Loki's fingers moved faster. He wasn't able to kiss him anymore. His breath was too heavy, and he had to meet Loki's movements to drive his fingers deeper. What was he doing? "I think that's quite enough." Loki said. "Do you still wish to be on top?" Tony's brain had a hard time registering the question, but he absently nodded. The god arched his eyebrows, and lay down next to him. Tony blinked dumbly, not knowing what to do. Loki got a little annoyed by the delay, and strong arms soon dragged Tony on top of him. "I am so obliging today. Now you can give yourself as much as you want." Tony didn't understand him. They looked at each other. Tony on top, with one thigh on either side of Loki. "You are so slow." Loki mumbled. He grabbed his hips, and in the next second he pushed hard into him.

Tony could hear his own moan hang in the air for what felt like minutes. None of them moved, and even though Tony was shutting his eyes closed, he could kind of hear Loki's wide, evil smile. "What's the matter? Did you not ask to be on top?" the god teased. Tony didn't answer. He hadn't gotten over the feeling of being filled up. With Loki. When the thought hit him, his heart really did escape from his mouth. And then Loki moved. Only a slight thrust upward, but enough to drive deep into Tony. At least that was what it felt like. "I'm not quite sure how much your mortal body can take." Loki said. Was he concerned? No, no way. And Tony wasn't able to answer any questions now either way. Loki moved again. Tony arched his back, threw his head back and tried to keep his voice down, but it was an utter failure. "Does it feel good?" He was very talkative, wasn't he? Tony wanted to say something, but couldn't. "It would feel even better if you moved by yourself." It took a few seconds for Tony to chew the words, and then put them into action. But he rolled his hips, together with Loki's thrusts and _shit. _

At some point they both lost the rhythm, and it became a race. Loki tried to push as deep and hard into him as possible, and Tony tried to drive him deeper and deeper. His mind was blank. He couldn't think. Consequences or right and wrong, nothing was there. Nothing but Loki's heavy breathing. The god reached out for him, dragging him down for a kiss. Loki's arms wrapped hard around him. Loki moaned into his mouth as he finished. That pushed Tony over the edge too. The rest… He couldn't even remember.

The next thing he knew, he was lying next to Loki. The room was hot and smelled of sex. Shit. Had they just? What a stupid question. He felt a little dizzy at the thought. He looked over at Loki, who lay completely still. Had he fallen asleep? Tony should leave. Yes. He should. But… His head was heavy, not to mention his body. It felt like he had been running for days. His back hurt a little, and when he moved- auch. He collapsed on the pillow.

He hadn't been thinking straight. How could he? With Loki's mouth- Okay, he shouldn't bring back those visions or emotions right now. He was so glad he had managed to get out of the room before Loki woke up. The last thing he needed was an awkward waking-up session. He should be used to this, leaving his one-night stand before they woke up. But this was a bit different. Of course it was. First of all, Loki was the enemy. Second, he was a guy. Third, he was living with him. He wondered what the team would say if they ever found out about… And what about Pepper? It wasn't like they were really together right now, but he had meant to fix everything as soon as the Loki-ordeal was over. But things were now a little more complicated than that.

He took another mouthful of his strong coffee. He just needed to make sure that it never happened again. As long as neither he nor Loki mentioned it or acted on it, it would be like it never happened. Maybe he could ask Loki to erase his memory? Nah, that was probably not a good idea. He shouldn't insult him. He was a god, after all (and in bed…. Seriously, Tony pull yourself together). He couldn't deny that last night had been the best sex he'd ever had, and the thought of denying himself to ever experience that again sucked.

"JARVIS, what time is it?" he asked, too lazy to check for himself.

"_It's 09:13 PM, sir. May I remind you that you will be late for your patrol?"_

"You may, JARVIS, you may." He sighed. He didn't really feel like patrolling today. Wait? Why not? It was perfect. Getting out of the house so that he didn't run into Loki again. If anything, he should be thrilled about getting away. But he wasn't.

He wondered if Loki was mad at him for leaving him like that. He knew women normally were, but Loki wasn't a woman. He wasn't even human. And he had been the (Tony hated to admit it, but it was true), dominate one. Loki probably wouldn't care, maybe he'd even prefer it this way. He couldn't really picture him being of the cuddly-type. Why was he giving this so much thought? He was supposed to be on a mission.

Not that the mission wasn't pointless… What was the point of searching for Loki when he knew exactly where he was? He tried very hard not to imagine Loki's naked, slim body sleeping peacefully amongst his white sheets. The only reason he did this was to fool his teammates. He had felt bad about it all along, but the fact that he had slept with Loki somehow made it even worse. Like he had betrayed them on a whole other level.

This seemed like a good day to accept Steve's usual offer of going out for a drink after their patrol. Anything to get his mind off what he had done really.

"Have you gotten back together with Pepper?" Steve asked and smiled. The question surprised Tony, because he had no idea why he would think that.

"No, why?"

"Oh… No. I don't blame you. You have a reputation for it after all." Tony blinked dumbly. What was he talking about?

"What?"

"Oh, come on, Tony, it's obvious you've been with someone. Look at your neck." That was when it hit Tony. The hickeys. Shit. He hadn't thought about them at all! And they were so obvious too! He had to take a big mouthful of his beer not to blush. Tony Stark didn't blush. "Do you feel bad about it? Sleeping with someone else I mean." Tony nodded.

"Yeah. I don't know what I was thinking." At least that wasn't a lie. He felt like a total asshole, which he probably was.

"It's not like you really cheated on her, if you're not together." Steve was trying to be supportive, which he appreciated, of course. It was just that his understanding, kind smile made his stomach hurt.

"I feel like I did. I don't know if we had broken up or not. She said that we just needed some time to ourselves…" Tony wondered how he would explain it all to Pepper if _she _ever found out that he had slept with the god of mischief. Okay, he had to make sure that never, ever happened.

"Maybe you should get it sorted out. Just ask her." Tony took another very large mouthful of the beer, and wondered if it looked like he was trying to drown himself.

"But I don't want to be that obvious. If I'm all like; Ey, Pepper have we broken up or not? She will know for sure that I slept with someone. God damn it fuck shit I fucked this up so badly fuck." He didn't normally swear that much in front of Steve, and he could see the captain frown. He let his forehead drop dramatically to the table. It hurt a bit, but he still deserved much more pain. He was pretty low now, wasn't he?

"You might want to put it a bit differently. But you're not going to feel better about it unless you know for sure if you're still dating." Tony nodded. He knew Steve was right.

Too many beers later, he flew home. Steve had tried to stop him from flying when he was that drunk, but right now he didn't really care if he crashed and died. And yes, that's how bad he felt. He was trying to come up with something to say to Pepper. And what made him feel like even more of a jerk was that he wasn't doing it for her, he was doing it for the sake of his own conscience. When he thought about it, he didn't need to ask her at all. He would just assume that yes, they were still dating, and yes, he had cheated on her. But she would never know. He would just have to make sure Loki stayed the hell out of his bedroom. And personal space. And mouth.

When he got home he was determined not to call Pepper, and not talk to her yet, and of course never go near Loki again.

Tony was sitting in his chair, and tried to relax with a drink, even though he shouldn't drink any more now, because he would feel it tomorrow.

Loki wasn't anywhere to be seen and thank heaven for that. He was trying to decide if he wanted vodka or gin, when he was interrupted.

"_Sir, miss Potts to see you_." JARVIS said. Tony chocked on the last sip of his drink, and had to cough. He wasn't ready to see her. He didn't know what to say. Was she going to insist on moving in again? Or was she coming to break up properly? Maybe she had found someone else? When that thought hit him, he realized that he didn't completely hate it. At least that meant he hadn't cheated on her. What the hell? Wasn't Pepper supposed to be the love of his life? All the things they had gone through together, to finally find each other. Tony was about to say to JARVIS to tell her he wasn't in, but too much time had passed, and the door already opened.

Pepper stood in the doorway. She looked very professional, and there was something about her mouth that was a bit off putting. For a second he thought she knew what he had done. But of course she didn't. That was just his old paranoia kicking in again. At least she didn't look mad, Tony noted a tiny bit relived. But what did she want? The papers in her hand gave it away. She was here on business. Well, she did practically run his company for him, so it was no wonder. He really admired that she managed to keep her professional and personal life separate. That was something he had miserably failed at, he reminded himself as a picture of Loki's sweat body flashed before his eyes. God damn it.

"Miss Potts, what can I do for you?" Tony asked. He figured he should hate it more, how distant it sounded when he used her last name. She looked at him, her face was composed.

"I just have some papers for you to sign, Mr. Stark." She walked over to him, and handed him the papers.

"Not gonna tell me what they're for?" He knew this attempt at a conversation could come off as bit desperate, but he had honestly never felt more awkward around Pepper before. But the biggest issue was the fact that Loki could walk in on them any moment and scare them both to death.

"Just some sales. I'm not trying to trick you, just doing my job." She said, and Tony was relieved to see a small smile on her lips.

"I know I can trust you. Thanks for still taking care of everything." It was a sorry apology, but it was the best he could do right now.

"Well, you know me. I'm not going to let this ruin for our professional lives." The question was on the tip of Tony's tongue. Have we broken up? But did he really want to know the answer? If the answer was no, that meant he had cheated on her. Well, he still felt like he had anyway, quilt crawling around in his gut.

"Yeah… Ah, so… How have you been?" No, he shouldn't ask her that. He should try to get her out of here as soon as possible. But then again, if he didn't show that he cared, he might lose her for good. An explanation later wouldn't be enough.

"Good, actually. I bought myself something from you again, for my birthday I mean." Oh no, he had forgotten again. Forgetting her birthday had to be his specialty. She was definitely mad about it. If anything, it had been the perfect time where he should have called her and apologized and made up. But he hadn't, because he had been too busy with his guest. Okay, he had to be the worst human being alive right now. He knew she was trying to make him feel bad, but that didn't change the fact that it was working.

"Pepper, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. If you will just sign the papers, Mr. Stark." He nodded in defeat, and started to sign them.

"Anthony Stark? I knew your given name was something other than what your associates call you by." Tony practically jumped in his chair at the silky voice in his ear. Pepper was startled too, but not by Loki.

"Tony? Are you okay?" Tony wanted to turn around and see if Loki was standing behind his chair, but there was really no need, because the wicked laughter could come from no-one but him. So, Pepper couldn't see him. Or hear him. He tried to calm his pulse which seemed to protest against his wellbeing.

"I'm fine… It's just a… Headache." He lied. Loki laughed harder. He hadn't heard him laugh like that before. Despite the circumstances he found that he kind of liked the sound of it. What? No, he hated it! Damn Loki doing shit to scare him! He was seriously going to have a heart attack before that bastard was out of his house. Pepper gave him a skeptical look. She definitely didn't believe him. At least he now knew she still cared.

"This spell is quite fascinating. I have been making myself invisible for years, but this is the first time both sound and vision is blocked." Loki said, and dug his fingers into Tony's shoulders. Tony hurried through the next papers. He had to get Pepper out of here now. "I wonder how long I can hold this spell…" Loki mumbled. He did that just to mess with him. God he hated this guy!

He wrote his name faster than he ever had on the last piece of paper, and handed it over to Pepper.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She sounded honestly worried.

"Yes, I'm fine. If that was all then…" She nodded, and walked towards the door. Tony felt like she was leaving him for good this time. It was something about her posture. The way her heels made a hard sound against the floor. She looked tall and determined. Determined never to go out with him again. He wanted to say 'goodbye', or something silly like that, but the door closed behind her, and she was gone.

Loki moved around the chair, coming to his front.

"That was amusing." He said with a smile.

"I fail to see the fun." He wanted to sound angrier. He should be furious at him right now. But he just felt defeated.

"Have I made you angry?" Loki tilted his head with fake innocence. He reached out a hand to place on Tony's shoulder. And Tony let him.

"Yeah, congratulations, you've made me angry." Tony sighed. Loki frowned.

"You do not seem angry with me?"

"I guess not. It's not all your fault that I can't keep my girlfriend." Tony knew he was being a bit too nice now, but then again, there was some truth in it. When he thought back to how he and Pepper had always argued about the smallest things. How annoyed he had been on her always nagging about everything. He wondered, would it have lasted? But what was he comparing it to? It was the first serious relationship he'd ever had. He looked back up at Loki, unsure of when he had let his head drop. The god was still tilting his head, but he wasn't laughing, or smiling. He was just waiting patiently for Tony to continue. "But to be honest you haven't helped."

"I do not wish to be of assistance." Loki was actually quite tall, Tony noted. Maybe it was because he was wearing boots at the moment. And leather pants… And, was that actually a dark, gray t-shirt? He had never thought Loki could wear something like that, but he was. It could have looked quite casual, if it hadn't had a deep 'V' neck, and been made of silk. Leather and silk. This guy really was a diva.

"It's not like I need your help either. The day I need help from you regarding relationships will be the day I become a monk." Loki gave him a confused look. Of course he didn't get the reference. "That's like someone who can't have sex." Tony explained, and regretted mentioning the word the moment he said it. Talking about sex with Loki probably wasn't a very good idea. Seeing as he was the master of it. Don't go there, Tony, you'll get lost again. He told himself, but his mind had already started recalling that night.

"I doubt you could refuse yourself that pleasure." Loki said as a sly smile crept upon his handsome features. On his- No, on his face, yes just his face.

"You're clearly underestimating me."

"No, I am not." Loki said. His hands were still on his shoulders by the way. His sharp fingertips dug into the fabric of his shirt.

"No, you're right. There is no way I'd go without sex. I mean, I have a reputation as playboy to keep up." The fact that he gave in had nothing to do with Loki's fingers massaging him, miraculously taking away some of the tension he had been feeling for days. "In fact, I think going more than a week without it would be torture." This was bad. Loki didn't even say anything, and he was still winning him over.

"It has only been four days, good thing the torture hasn't started yet." Loki's voice had become low and husky. How did he manage to drag the sound from the back of this throat like that? How did he make the words roll out and sound so hot?

"To be honest, the torture has kind of started."

"Oh, has it?" Loki laughed and leaned in closer. He was now in his personal space, which he found he didn't mind sharing.

"Yeah, it definitely has. Do you think you could ease my pain?" Tony knew he was being a bit too pushy now. Oh, how annoyed he would be if Loki backed down. But he didn't. He just snickered and his eyes had begun to burn again. He just couldn't get enough of that sight. Those eyes were really something.

"Perhaps I could." Loki teased, and his breath was very close.

"Maybe we could go to a bedroom?" Tony suggested. He admitted it, he had no self-control what-so-ever. He was a worthless human being who was so needy he couldn't even go four days without Loki's touch. Maybe this was what it felt like to be on drugs. This incredible need. And he loved how his heartbeat increased as Loki's cold breath hit his mouth. He loved the bony fingers digging into his shoulders like claws.

"I see no need for a chamber, this chair will do very well." Loki whispered on his mouth. Tony could feel his mind becoming clouded and the little voice in his head that kept screaming that it was wrong died out. Why was it so wrong again? Because he was the enemy? This didn't change the fact that Loki was their enemy. It didn't mean he would keep him from SHIELD forever. It was the two of them together, without it having any impact on anything else. Yes, that's right.


	5. Chapter 4

"Loki, what exactly are you doing?" Tony asked. Loki stopped for a moment, like he didn't have an answer. His hands were resting on Tony's shoulders.

"I am distracting myself." was the answer, as Loki leaned in to kiss him. He didn't understand what he meant by that. It wasn't a real answer. But the question hadn't been formed right anyway. He should have asked 'what are _we _doing?'. This wasn't just Loki and he very well knew that. But he still let that hungry tongue enter him and slide around inside his mouth.

Tony was lying in his bed. His thoughts were a mess. His body was a mess. _Everything _was a mess. Nothing had made any sense since the first night Loki had laid hands on him. Things were now more stressful than ever. Keeping his poker face in front of Fury and his other teammates wasn't easy, and he thought it had actually gotten harder these past weeks. He thought about Loki's hot mouth against his. _What are you doing? - Distracting myself. _Yeah, it was really distracting. He had hardly been able to think about anything else. It sure as hell didn't make things easier. He knew Loki was just playing him. Putting some weird pleasure into this mix was not a good idea. Tony couldn't lose sight of the reality here. Loki was dangerous, and he was letting him tag him along. _Damn _

He tried very hard not to picture Clint's face if he ever found out. The archer wouldn't really care that he had been sleeping with him. He would just be furious at the fact that he had been hiding him. As for the rest of the team… He didn't even know if they would let him get away alive. Okay, he was being a bit overdramatic now. But a green rage monster tearing him to pieces wasn't that unlikely.

But this was the worst part; It was worth it. It was so worth it. Loki was worth it. And as the weeks passed by, that fact didn't change.

Tony opened his eyes. He could tell at once that it was rather late, at least considering that he just woke up. He always woke up early. The white sheets were tangled around him, and he wasn't alone in his bed. When he saw the body next to him, he smiled. Loki was curled up, facing Tony. He was still sleeping. His breathing steady, and his mouth only slightly open. Some of his wild hair had fallen into his face. Tony decided to be very brave, and reached out a hand to remove the strains. Loki didn't wake up.

Since he was already feeling bold, he wanted more body contact. No, he wasn't a cuddly guy, but this wasn't just any one-night-stand. It wasn't even that. How many nights had they done it? He had lost count. He touched Loki's hand. It was cold. He was always so damn cold. Cold hands – warm heart. Wasn't that the phrase? Surely that wasn't true regarding Loki. Even though, right now he looked truly peaceful. That little backward-bend of his eyebrows made him seem worried, even in his sleep.

It wasn't often Tony stayed in bed just to admire the one he had just slept with, but he couldn't help himself when it came to Loki. He could wake up any minute now, and that would be bad. Yes, very bad. He wouldn't like that Tony had been staring at him for… How long had it been now? His face was so pale. He would probably wake up soon. Yes, Tony had to leave. But he could stay a little longer. Just a little longer.

It took a while before he worked up the determination to leave the pleasant bed. But a wake-up session with Loki was too awkward, at least… yet. Considering that it had been weeks since they started sleeping together, he felt a little pathetic about leaving. There was no denying that they were growing closer and closer, and one day (if this carried on, which it shouldn't but—), then maybe he would just lay there next to him until he woke up. But not today.

His deduction of time was way off, since it was early, and he didn't need to go on patrol for another two hours. He decided to do some work.

However, as soon as he got down to his workshop, he was met by a very naggy JARVIS.

"_Sir, I think I have to remind you of the conference in Oslo this weekend, I do believe you have forgotten."_ Tony blinked dumbly at JARVIS' message.

"Yes, good morning to you too." The computer always greeted him, so he thought it was a bit weird.

"_Good morning sir, did my message not register? You have a conference in Oslo this weekend." _JARVIS repeated.

"Where the hell is Oslo?"

"_Sir, your knowledge of geography is terrible."_

"Why thank you! Instead of criticizing me, care to tell me what the hell you're talking about?" If JARVIS had had a laughter programmed into him, he probably would have been laughing now. But he was made to serve Tony no matter what.

"_Yes sir. The conference in Oslo, capital of Norway is held by Clean Energy, and you are one of the main speakers. You are supposed to hold a speech promoting arc-technology for Stark Industries."_ Tony tried very hard to form a map in his head so that he could at least get a clue on where Norway was. He had a big feeling it was somewhere cold. Great.

"But I can't go, obviously. I'm still on a mission."

"_I doubt you will be held back by director Fury. There have been no signs of Loki in months, quite naturally." _

"But-"

"_Sir, you've already agreed to go." _It wasn't often JARVIS managed to bully Tony into doing things he didn't want to, but even Tony couldn't deny the importance of him being there. Also, Norway was a civilized country, right? He wasn't going to get captured and held in some snow-cave? He shivered at the thought.

"Fine, I'll go, I'll go." He held up his hands as he surrendered.

"_Excellent_." It sounded like JARVIS was some evil robot who was planning world domination.

"Going somewhere?" That was Loki, coming into his workshop. It was annoying how the doors opened for him, even though JARVIS had been instructed not to let anyone but Tony in. But then again, it was kind of okay, since it was Loki. Or was that a weird thought? At least Tony had gotten out of the room in time. Next time he would have to leave earlier, because that had been way too close.

"Yes, it seems I'm going to Norway. Any idea where that is?"

"Yes, it is the northern part of what you call 'Europe', I believe." So even Loki knew more geography than himself. And he wasn't even from earth! Loki gave him a look that said (in plain American), something like; you suck.

"Shut up." Tony mumbled. Loki smiled.

"How long will you be gone?"

"Yes, JARVIS, how long will I be gone?"

"_A week, sir."_

"What? A week? Why?"

"_Well, your speech isn't until the second day of the conference, and I suppose you will stay there and listen to the other speeches to get a good look at our competition. And on the last day there will be a demonstration of different types of clean energy, where you will present the arc-reactor." _

"You're getting really bossy you know."

"_Someone has to take care of you, sir." _Tony just rolled his eyes. Loki tilted his head to the side. It looked like he found Tony's annoyance amusing.

"A week then." Loki hummed. No sex for a week. Shit that was long. Loki's face made it perfectly clear that he knew what Tony was thinking.

"Yeah, just a week." Tony said it more to himself than to Loki.

"Oh, so it's 'just a week', your reluctance has surely increased. When do you leave?"

"In four days, it starts this weekend." He looked at Loki, who was arching his eyebrows. Damn that bastard he _knew _Tony would ask him. Well, he'd rather give Loki the satisfaction of being right, than go without having the god in his bed for a week. "Wanna come?" Loki pretended to yawn, but his eyes looked pleased.

"A conference? It sounds dull."

"You're just going to stay at the hotel, it'll be the same as staying here, just… You know, change of scenery. Have you even been out of the house?" Loki smirked.

"Are you trying to tell me what to do? Dear, dear…" he shook his head. "Lucky for you that I approve of you as a host, or else you would be lying on the floor covered in your own blood." Even though Loki wasn't going to do anything to him, Tony still felt a bit uneasy. "I will come with you, but don't think for one _second _that you can order me around." Tony looked at him, and swallowed. What had he just gotten himself into?

The next days passed way too quickly, much thanks to a sexy sorcerer and an overpowered computer. Stupid Loki for being so hot… Stupid JARVIS for making him work… Stupid Pepper for giving him so much responsibility over his own company… Alright, this could all be brought down to everything being his own fault, but it was more fun to blame people.

Apparently, Pepper had teamed up with Rhodney, and told him about how much of an ass Tony had been to her, because the general would not be accompanying him on his trip. At first he thought that to be a great loss, but then, since Loki was coming, it was probably for the best.

"Did you make time go faster or something?" Tony asked the morning they were leaving. He had packed some stuff, which had already been sent to his plane. Loki, who hadn't packed anything (magic was handy), gave him a weird look.

"Altering times is one of the most delicate arts, as much as I regret it, I am not capable of such magic." Tony ached his eyebrows.

"A simple 'no', would've been enough."

"You're in a foul mood this morning. Please do not take it out on me." Loki said with a little sneer. No, Tony shouldn't take it out on him. It wasn't _his _fault that he had to go on a trip he really didn't want to go on.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I just don't like cold places." It was a shitty excuse, but it was also true.

"I despise them too. But Norway is not as cold as you think. I believe it has about the same climate as New York." Tony didn't believe that, because wasn't Santa Claus from Norway? Or somewhere very near? And Norway was next to an island called Iceland, like _ice land. _He shivered, and thought that he really didn't want to go.

"You're gonna travel in that?" Tony asked. Loki nodded.

"Is there something wrong with my armor?" There wasn't something wrong with it, it was just that it was _wrong. _He couldn't walk out in public like that. "I will be in disguise, but you own this plane, do you not? It will be fine." Tony did argue a bit more, but Loki was determined to take the chance. Oh well, it was his choice and his life.

Having your own, private plane was one of the best things about being this rich, Tony thought. No stupid airline security that would freak out because even if he walked naked through the control, that damn thing would go off. It wouldn't be easy to explain to the guards that he had iron shrapnel's in his chest. Also, he had a big feeling Loki wouldn't get through the control either. Like the god would let anyone touch him. Well, anyone but Tony, that was.

When they landed on the airport in Norway, it was clear that the climate was _not the fucking same as New York. _It was cold as hell, and Tony regretted only putting on a suit. Even Loki couldn't fully control his shivering.

"What the hell are you thinking?" Tony sneered at Loki, who was standing right next to him. Getting on the plane had been one thing, but getting off was an entirely different matter. Of course, when Tony Stark visited a country it was no small thing, so, despite the cold weather, photographers and journalists had lined up to meet him when he got off. Had Loki forgotten about the 'being in disguise'-thing, because that sure as hell wasn't a disguise! He was still wearing his freakin' _armor_! And there were lots of people taking pictures of them and, oh holy hell this was bad. Oddly enough, nobody was giving any of them weird looks, and everyone appeared to be taking pictures of Tony.

"Do you honestly believe me to be that careless?" Loki laughed. "I _am _in disguise. But not to your eyes." Did that mean others couldn't see him? He had done that before.

"So, how does this trick work?" Loki smiled a superior smile that said 'you puny mortal', or something like that.

"People will see me as one of your new board-members, simply accompanying you. I think I look quite repulsing in this skin, so I thought you wouldn't need to see it. You already enjoy my natural looks so much, no reason to disturb your fantasies about me."

"I'm not having fantasies about you!" Tony said a bit too loud, because the journalists had probably heard that.

"Now, now, let us not deny the truth. Lying doesn't suit you half as well as it does me." Why did Loki feel so much like his superior when Tony was the main person here? Why did it feel like he was standing next to his boss? Tony shot Loki an annoyed glance. "I am pleased I decided to come, this is much more fun than staying home." Home huh? So Loki thought of Tony's house as a home? He felt his mood lighten a lot more than it should. He was stilled pissed at Loki though. Even if this was entirely his own fault, he was the one who had invited the trickster after all.

"Mr. Stark, what do you think about Norway?" one journalist asked, another shouted something about Christmas_. Don't say that it's cold as shit, don't say that it's cold as shit. _Why would they even ask him about what he thought about their country? He had taken one step out of his plane. Technically, he wasn't even on Norwegian land.

"It seems to be a lovely country, I'm looking forward to seeing more of it." He said. It was standard, and the journalist knew that, because he looked disappointed.

After answering some more questions, they were left alone. Tony had always had that skill to tell the journalists that enough was enough, and make them go away.

"So, what do you look like in this disguise?" Tony was always curious when it came to Loki's magic.

"Like a mortal." Was his short answer. Tony's look told him that he wanted more details. "Oh for the- I weigh about twice as much, my hair is short, my eyes are brown… My face is unrecognizable. How much do you want to know? I already told you I didn't want to spoil your fantasies." Tony had made sort of a picture of how Loki looked to others now, but it was impossible to imagine when he was walking right next to him. He looked as good as ever, and even though Tony preferred it when he dressed 'casual' (no, Loki didn't know how to dress casual at all), he was still handsome in his armor. Okay, now he was getting distracted. So distracted he managed to walk straight into someone.

"Sorry!" he said. The person said something he didn't understand in Norwegian. Loki laughed.

"This is amusing." He said, and Tony couldn't agree less. He was sure they would get caught. Why wasn't Loki more careful? Wasn't he supposed to be in hiding? It wasn't likely that he would get caught as long as his magic didn't slip, which Tony couldn't imagine it doing. He had to know what he was doing, or he wouldn't do it.

Tony was way more stressed about this than necessary. It was just that he didn't want Loki to get caught! Wait, what? He liked sleeping with the trickster, of course, but that was just him taking advantage of the offer as long as Loki was living with him. Of course, if he got the chance he would turn him into SHIELD right away. Of course he would! Or would he? He looked over at Loki. He seemed very pleased with himself, and a tiny smile was dancing on his thin lips. When Loki's face was relaxed like this he didn't look evil at all. His eyebrows were always sort of arched backwards, which gave him a look of innocence. If he took away the fact that he was amazing in bed, he was still a very interesting being. He was funny and smart and… "What?" Okay, he had been staring too much again. "You were complaining on how boring this trip would be, let me try and make it tolerable for the both of us." It already looked like Loki was having a lot of fun. Tony wondered what kind of crazy shit he would do. The worst thing was that he was looking forward to it. Damn it all.

Tony was used to flying for hours and hours at a time, so he wasn't tired from the trip. He pretended to be though, because that would give him an excuse not to hang out with the other who had arrived a day beforehand. Instead he checked into the hotel-room. And of course, they had only one room. He didn't think much about it, because it came naturally. They shared a bed at home too. He had brought Loki along mainly to sleep with him anyway. Yeah, why else? For the sake of his 'pleasant' company? Hah! As if. He wondered if Loki felt like he was being used. Not that he cared about his feelings.

Loki looked about the room, and his face had the expression of acceptance. Apparently, this luxury hotel was good enough for the god. It was a pretty nice room, Tony had to admit. It was warm, which was a huge bonus after the torture it had been to get from the airport. Everything was white and clean, and it gave Tony an urge to make everything dirty and messy with a little help from the trickster. Tony placed his suitcase on the floor, and went to check the rest of the place out. Oh, the bathroom was nice too. A huge bathtub. That would satisfy Loki. He did prefer baths to showers after all. Loki hadn't said anything for a while, which worried Tony a bit. He was normally rather talkative around Tony.

"Why did you pick such an unattractive disguise? You could've shape shifted into a good-looking guy or a sexy woman, right?" He asked, just to check if Loki was okay. Not that he cared about his feelings.

"Of course I could have. But do you think I want people to talk to me because of my appearance? I can't have the whole of Norway falling for me." Was it just his imagination, or had Loki taken on a whole new level of cockiness?

"You could've gone for something in between." Tony suggested.

"Well, 'in between', isn't really in my nature." Loki hesitated, before he asked; "Do you want to see me in another form?"

"Nope." The answer came a bit too fast maybe. "I like you the way you are." Tony said, and regretted it right away. "I mean, I can't deny that after all the sex we've had. I guess I have a really weird taste…" Okay, he was definitely fucking this up. He should probably shut his mouth now. Loki looked neither insulted nor pleased.

Tony didn't know what to do to get out of the awkwardness he was feeling. That's why he did something very brave. He grabbed Loki by his chin and kissed him. He was kissing back. At least that was a good sign. Then Loki pushed him forcefully away. Tony stumbled backwards and fell onto the bed.

"Do you thirst for my body? _This body?" _Loki asked in a low voice that he normally used when they were going to do it. Tony found that deep voice as a huge turn-on.

"Yes." He answered, no reason to hesitate at all. Because it was the truth. Even if Loki could change into anyone and anything in the world, he wanted _him. _He wanted that long, black hair. He wanted that pale, cold skin. He wanted his thin, pink lips and sharp teeth. He _needed _that sharp tongue and his bony fingers. I really do have a weird taste, Tony thought as Loki crawled on top of him.

"He is a competitor of yours, is he not?" Loki nodded at the man who was now giving his speech in a pathetic attempt on English. Didn't they have schools in Sweden? All in all, there hadn't been more than two with decent English. Wasn't this an international conference?

"Yes." Tony answered. "Don't kill him." He said, quickly, because god knows what Loki was up to.

"Of course not! But I do believe he has talked long enough, don't you?" A mischievous smile was now dominating Loki's face.

"Yeah, he has, but don't do anything-" but it was too late. The man who was walking across the stage a lot, suddenly tripped and fell very ungracefully to the floor. "Was that you?" Tony turned to Loki, who put up the most innocent face he could conjure.

"Why would you think that?" The poor man got up and started talking again, a bit slower than before, and he had stopped walking. Loki didn't look pleased. "I guess it didn't hurt enough?"

"Seriously, Loki-" Tony wasn't supposed to use his name. "Seriously, don't hurt him." Loki arched his eyebrows.

"So you want me to get him off the stage without hurting him? That can be arranged." Tony was about to protest, but then the man started laughing. And it wasn't just a small chuckle. It was loud and totally out of controlled.

"Loki!"

"What? You said no hurting! He can't be in pain when he is laughing now, can he?" The man sort of screamed in laughter. Tony couldn't help but join in on the laughter just a little, because the poor guy really looked hilarious. He had troubles standing up from all the laughter, and he had turned bright pink. Everyone was wondering what the hell was going on.

"I think that's enough." Tony said.

"You are no fun." The man stopped laughing, and went back to his speech like nothing had happened. People mumbled. "What shall we have him do next?"

"Seriously, leave the poor guy alone, dude." Loki arched his eyebrows.

"I think not, 'dude'." Loki calling him 'dude' was for some reason way too funny, and Tony broke out in laughter, which was a bit too loud. The man doing the speech stopped and looked up at Tony.

"Did I say something funny?" the man asked, and… It sounded like he was about to cry? "Tony Stark laughed at me!" the man broke down in tears. "He laughed at me!" and seconds later he ran off the stage crying. Loki laughed a wicked, uncontrolled laughter that was a bit evil, especially since he was laughing at someone crying.

"You're horrible. Like seriously, you're a very bad person." Tony said, but since he was still smiling, it didn't sound harsh. Loki smiled.

"And the show has just begun."

At the end of the day, Loki had managed to get three more people off the stage. Only the most boring ones, of course. But people were beginning to talk, and Tony had told him to stop enchanting them. That had left Loki in a somewhat foul mood, and he mumbled something about Tony being 'dull and no fun at all, and mortals don't know how to amuse themselves'. Luckily, the speeches of the day were over, and people were safe from Loki's schemes.

Loki's mood seemed to lighten when he saw the bar. Tony had never pictured Loki to be much of a drinker.

"Isn't this a bit below your standards?" He asked. Loki nodded, but ordered 'the strongest you can serve me', anyway.

"But I always want to widen my spectra. What if you ask me to conjure a drink for you? I want to be able to oblige." Tony felt a bit flattered by the fact that Loki was doing this for him. Well, he kind of owed him though, since he was allowed to come with him. Tony wondered who took most pleasure in Loki accompanying him. So far, it was definitely Loki. Tony hadn't heard him laugh that much before. It seemed that Loki's main source of fun was to ruin other people's big moments. That made him sound like an asshole, but Tony couldn't help but find some fun in it too. Loki was the god of mischief after all, he probably couldn't help himself.

Loki's immunity towards alcohol was quite remarkable. Even after his twentieth drink, he showed no sign of being affected by it at all.

"I'm glad I get to see you drinking this much, because then I'll never do a drinking contest with you. Seriously, how much can you drink?" Loki smiled and finished the one he was holding.

"In Asgard they used to laugh at me because I could never drink as much as the others." Loki said. It couldn't be a good memory to him, but from the smirk on his face, Tony took it he had gotten his revenge somehow. "I think I could easily drink this entire storage, your drinks don't seem to affect me at all." Tony thought he should get Loki away from the bar before he attracted unwanted attention. A guy who drank that much without dying would get noticed. "You don't want me to drink, you don't want me to enchant people, what _fun _will you allow me to have?" Loki complained as Tony dragged him by the arm away from the bartender who looked astonished, probably because Loki was walking perfectly straight.

"I just don't want you to get caught!" Tony said, a bit too loudly maybe. He looked around, and wondered when he had gotten this paranoid. Loki smiled a sharp smile.

"Are you worried about me?" Damn this guy. God damn him to hell.

"I just don't want you get caught when you're with me. I'll get in trouble." Loki didn't look like he believed him. He gave him a weird look.

"Do not worry so much. I am used to this, I won't get caught. My magic is too strong." Loki said, and there was something about his voice that was gentle. Like he really didn't want Tony to worry. Like he wanted to reassure him and calm him down. Tony looked away. He knew Loki's magic was strong, but what about the anti-magic-serum? Did Loki know about it? No, he probably didn't. That was why he was so sure of himself, because he knew humans couldn't harm him as long as his magic was this strong.

"But what about-" Tony stopped himself. The anti-magic-serum was their only chance of taking down Loki. And he couldn't tell him about it. He bit his lip, and his gut twisted uncomfortably at the thought of Loki getting caught just because Tony didn't tell him about it. But then again, why was he taking Loki's side of things? This guy was a murderer, and he had threatened to kill Pepper. But that seemed like lifetimes ago. Before they had this 'friendship', or whatever it was. Before they started sleeping together.

"But what about what?" Loki asked.

"Nothing. You're right. But don't blame me if you mess up."

"No, of course not. If I am caught it is my own fault for trusting you." That hit Tony hard. Loki hadn't even put that much meaning behind his words. It was just a line, but to Tony it was so much more.

It would seem it wasn't a myth that being away from home gave one more lust. The room was dark, and all he could see was the blue and green light dancing on Loki's snow white skin. Hungry kisses were exchanged, but there was still one thought that occupied Tony's mind. The anti-magic serum.

"Loki, there's something I need to-" Tony tried, but Loki's mouth blocked his. His cold tongue slid over his bottom lip.

"Shh… No words. You do not need to tell me anything. Let me keep believing." He whispered. Keep believing? Believing what? Tony wanted to ask, but Loki's tongue being in his mouth kind of made that impossible. Perhaps this was for the best. He shouldn't tell Loki about the serum. He shouldn't. Sleeping with him was already high treason, but giving away their only weapon was too much. His loyalty should be with his friends, his teammates first and foremost. Then why did he still feel bad as Loki's mouth travelled down his neck? "Let me keep believing." Loki whispered again. "I like pretending." He breathed. "I like pretending."

"Today you are going to hold your speech, are you not?" Loki asked as he watched Tony put on his tie. Loki was sitting on the bed, barely dressed. But when Tony turned around to look at him, his armor was back on. Magic was really handy wasn't it? Tony couldn't imagine how long Loki would take to dress if he was going to do it manually.

"Yes, I am." Tony answered. Loki's eyes sparkled. "And if you do anything to me while I'm up there, I swear to God I'll murder you." he warned, but Loki just laughed.

"Oh, but I thought I was your god?" Loki said. He had gotten up from his sitting position, and was now towering over Tony. Yeah, damn those boots. He put a hand on his head, and grabbed his hair, to jerk his head upwards. "Was that not your words? That I am your god?" Loki whispered into his mouth. Tony did _not _have time for another round, because then he would have to get dressed and… Oh why had he said all those things? Because Loki had asked him to, of course, but you know…

"Yes, I did say that. Ever heard of heat of the moment?"

"Indeed. But don't pretend you didn't mean what you said. You meant it. Every. Word." Loki leaned down and kissed him. He loved it. Yes, there was no denying. He gasped and wondered if Loki was going to pull harder on his hair. Yes, he was… Shit. Now he was hard.

"Okay, okay, I meant it." Tony said, trying to get away from the god. He really didn't have time for this. Loki looked content, but didn't approve of him getting away. He pinned him to the wall with his strong hands. It was weird that his fingers could be that long and slim and still hold him that tightly. Tony couldn't deny that he liked being pushed against the wall, his arms being held over his head. "Loki, I'm gonna be late." Tony said, and thought it sounded like they were a real couple.

"That you are." Loki smirked, and pressed his body against Tony's.

"No, like, let go of me! Seriously, learn to read the situation."

"Oh, but I am." The god gave Tony a look that said that he had noticed how hard he was. Tony didn't normally blush, because he wasn't the type to be embarrassed, but this was a bit pathetic.

"Let me go." Tony said. He knew there was no use struggling, because Loki was stronger than any human.

"What do I get in return?" Really? How old was he? Tony rolled his eyes.

"What do you want?" That was actually a very good question. What the hell _did _he want?

"If you'll let me have fun today, I will release you." Damn this guy. Damn him and his strength and sexy voice and body and- argh! Tony couldn't really do anything but agree.

"Fine! I'll let you mess around, just don't get caught, and don't kill anyone!" Loki let him go, and like a kid who has just been allowed to play with the big-boys, he smiled. Tony mumbled something bad about the trickster, who followed him out of the hotel room. Tony had to think about Fury to make his turn-on go away. There was really nothing more off-putting than Fury.

He was a bit nervous about the day, because Loki had gotten freedom to do whatever he wanted. He just knew he would regret this so badly. He should've just kissed back and been a good boy and done him (or let him do him). A quick fuck before his speech.

He was never nervous before talking in front of people, regardless of the audience. But he was honestly scared Loki would do something. He pictured himself suddenly tripping, or losing his clothes or speaking backwards or something.

As soon as he walked out on the stage, he could see Loki. He was sitting pretty far away, but he could still see him smiling a mischievous smile. Yes, he was definitely going to do something. But would he really ruin for Tony? He had been kind enough to rid him of some competition, so why would he mess with Tony? There was no answer, because he could never tell what was going on in his mind.

"- and that's how it works. Any questions?" Tony couldn't believe he had gotten through his entire talk without Loki doing anything. Maybe he was a lot kinder than he had thought. A woman raised her hand. "Yes?"  
"Gurgasnr glifskskrdin blokwfritjev?" she asked. Wait what? That wasn't a language. That wasn't anything Tony had ever heard. He took a closer look at her. She looked to be western, so this couldn't be a real language. Maybe he had just heard her wrong.

"I'm sorry?"

"Gurgasnr glifskskrdin blokwfritjev" she repeated. Say what? Tony blinked dumbly, and then he understood. His eyes flew to Loki, who was trying to strangle his laughter by blocking it with his hand.

"I'm sorry, can you say that one more time?" Nope, the words were impossible to understand. What had Loki done? The god had to use both hands to keep his laughter trapped now. Tony was going to- Yeah, what was he going to do to him? Well never mind that now! He would surely find something! "I'm sorry, I can't understand you." Tony admitted. The woman looked surprised at him, before she repeated her question. Nope, still just random sounds coming out of her mouth.

He looked at Loki, and tried to give him a message; _fucking stop it you piece of shit. _But he couldn't even get eye contact with him, because he was laughing so hard. More people tried to talk to Tony, probably trying to reformulate the question the woman had tried to ask. But he couldn't understand them.

He was about to declare this speech a total failure, when Loki finally spoke.

"She was just wondering how much it costs to build." He said. Tony's ears were probably red, because he felt hot. He sure as hell was going to get him for this! Tony pulled himself together and answered the question. That damn trickster.

Tony tried to be calm as he walked into the room where all the other guests were. His speech had been the last one, so everyone was gathering for 'a nice chat'. As if! And then he spotted the trickster.

"You complete _ass_!" Tony shouted at Loki from across the room. Right now he didn't care if people heard him. Him yelling at one of his board-members wasn't that big of a deal.

"What? I even saved you." Loki tried to defend himself. From the looks of it, he hadn't gotten over his laughter yet. Tony rushed over to him and had to concentrate very hard not to hit him in the face. Striking the god of mischief wasn't a good idea, no matter what he had done.

"You did something, didn't you?" he sneered.

"No?" Loki tried, but no way in hell he was getting away.

"Yes you did you little-" Loki lifted an eyebrow, and looked down at Tony. Okay, maybe he wasn't little, but he was still a-

"Now, now, you were the one who said I could have fun."

"Yeah, but I didn't really have a choice did I?"

"I never said you did?" Loki was still smiling. There was really no arguing with this guy! Tony sighed, giving up on his anger.

"You're unbelievable."

"What? I had planned to do much more, but I thought you would be absolute torture to be with afterwards, so I kept to only this little trick. Are you angry with me?" Loki tilted his head in that innocent way again. Tony couldn't stay mad. Damn.

"No, not really. It was a good speech, and you saved it in the end I guess…"

"I did, didn't I? I am quite proud of myself you see." Tony didn't know why he was proud, but didn't ask. He probably wouldn't understand the answer anyway, just like he didn't understand anything else about Loki.

The next day's speeches were (if possible) even more boring than yesterday's. Tony decided he would never let JARVIS order him around ever again. Also, he was getting a backache from these seats.

"The Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg." The introducer said. Wow, even the prime minister of Norway was gonna speak huh? He was a tall, skinny man with hair that was clearly turning gray.

"First I would like to say 'Welcome to Norway', and apologize for not being able to be here when this conference started." The prime minister said with the accent that was 'the Norwegian accent'. Tony had heard enough of it to be sick of it already. Loki looked at the man with disbelief.

"I never understood how you mortals choose your leaders. When I think that I am unworthy of a throne, and that man rules all of Norway." He mumbled. Tony didn't bother to explain to him how democracy worked. "Would it be very inappropriate if I removed him from the stage?" Loki asked. Well, at least he had the decency to ask this time. Tony hesitated. He was a somewhat important person, at least in Norway, but then again… Why shouldn't Loki have some fun?

"Go ahead." Tony gave the green light. Loki looked thrilled.

"I'm sorry, you have to excuse me I have to go." Stoltenberg said, suddenly. Everybody looked surprised, because he hadn't even started his real speech yet. But if he just went off the stage like that, it wasn't too bad, considering this was Loki doing his tricks. Tony would've thought something more humiliating would happen to the prime minister. "You see, I hate these sorts of conferences, they are boring. I also need to go buy some hair-dye, because my hair is turning gray. And for your information, I didn't wash my hands after I went to the bathroom. And my secretary is sexy. I'm sure you all know this, but my sister is a drug-user! I just want to make that perfectly clear!" And with those words, the prime minister of Norway retreated from the stage, looking very shocked at himself. He wasn't the only one in shock, the whole auditorium was in awe. Well, except for some, who were laughing. Loki amongst them.

"What the hell did you do?" Tony said with a chuckle.

"I call it 'five truths'." Loki barely managed to speak from laughing. "It makes the victim say five truths, randomly chosen." He explained.

"He's gonna get into a lot of trouble with the press after saying all of that."

"Yes, that is why it is so hilarious."

Okay, so bringing Loki to Norway had been a good idea for himself, and for the trickster. For everyone else, it was a total nightmare. Tony couldn't imagine how embarrassed the prime minister had to be, and how long it would take him to conquer what had just happened to him.

On the fourth day, everyone from the conference was being treated with a traditional Norwegian dinner at the hotel, sponsored by… Well, someone. Tony wasn't a person who needed free food, naturally, but didn't refuse.

The dish that was served was called 'Lutefisk', which translated into something like 'Lutefish'. Tony didn't mind fish. He was just happy it wasn't something weird like a whale-brain or something. At least, he thought he was happy, until he tasted it.

It tasted like fish that had been cooked for about three years in soap. He looked to his fellow clean-energy colleagues, to see if it was really supposed to taste like this. Most of them seemed perfectly fine with the taste. He looked at Loki, who was staring at the dish with astonishment. He leaned over to Tony.

"I think it is poisoned." He whispered. No arguing with that, and even if it wasn't poisoned, it still tasted like something you could die from eating.

"Is this your first time eating 'Lutefisk', Mr. Stark?" a woman asked him from across the table. She seemed to be enjoying her food.

"Yes." He said, and because she was Norwegian, he took another bite. He barely managed to swallow it. He wasn't normally the picky type, but this was just terrible. He looked back at Loki, who tapped his fingers on the plate. The food looked exactly the same. He then did the same to Tony's plate.

"Try it now, I made some changes to the taste." Loki whispered in his ear. He really shouldn't be that close to him when they were at a dinner-party like this. Tony took another bite, and heaven.

Loki's magic was amazing. It was weird eating fish that tasted this sweet, but ey, he wasn't complaining. "I wanted something sweet." Loki breathed.

"It's good." Tony said to the woman, and gave her a smile as he took another bite of the food. He tried very hard to ignore Loki, who looked very attractive after that last sentence that had been cool against his ear.

"I am glad it pleases you." Loki purred. The woman and a couple of others gave Loki a weird look. Yes, it had to look weird if a fat man leaned that close and whispered in Tony's ear all the time. They couldn't see how hot it actually was.

"You really saved that dinner, even though it was weird eating fish that didn't taste like fish."

"I agree, but it did not taste like fish in the first place." Loki said.

"You got that right… Just them seeing me eat that shit is good PR, so thanks."

"You're welcome." It was weird hearing him say that, because it was so unlike him. The god looked pretty pleased with himself.

"You want something in return?" It didn't hurt to be nice to him when he was being this civil.

"Not really, you know me. I take what I want." That had totally not been a reference to sex. Not at all. They took the elevator to their floor. It was a little cold, but that was only to be expected, because it was -15 degrees outside. It was rarely that cold in the capital, but of course when Tony was visiting… Just his luck.

Even though it was cold, he forced himself to have at least one day where he took a look at the city. It was a shame to visit a capital without at least being able to say something about it. Loki was eager to go out. No wonder, he had basically been trapped in Stark Mansion for months.

The streets of Oslo were decorated for Christmas, even though it was only 30. November. He had never been a huge fan of Christmas. Probably because it was 'family time', and he didn't really have a family.

"What is the meaning of all these lights?" Loki asked. He too was admiring the décor.

"Some early Christmas preparations."

"What is 'Christmas'?" Of course they didn't have it in Asgard. He didn't know how to explain the whole concept of Christmas, so he took a shortcut.

"It's like a festival at the end of the year."

"I see…"

"If you put on some red, you'll fit right in. Especially with your helmet. Where is that thing anyway?" If he put that on, he would be a walking Christmas trinket.

"I lost it." The god answered. How was that even possible? Tony didn't know much about how Loki took care of his clothes and accessories. He had never seen a suitcase or bag or anything of the kind. Loki just used magic to generate things at will. So, if he had lost the helmet, did that mean he couldn't make it with magic? Loki's magic was always a very interesting subject. He wanted to ask about it, but stopped. Loki looked quite occupied with inspecting the environment. And as snow fell around them, landing in Loki's black hair and on his shoulders. As busy people rushed passed, and the star-shaped lights gleamed at them, it was just too peaceful for Tony to bother the trickster with questions.

Tony gathered the coat tighter around himself. It was so cold. Loki's hands and ears had turned pink from the icy breeze. The street was busy. It was 'Karl Johan', the main street, so that was to be expected.

Loki suddenly reached out his hand, and grabbed the hood of a man who just passed them. Since Loki was so strong, the man was pulled backwards. He swore in Norwegian, and tried to pull free from Loki's grip, but it didn't work. Loki swirled him around, and gave him a look that would make any man feel like a child getting yelled at by his father.

"I think you have something that does not belong to you?" Loki said, slowly. The man's expression instantly gave him away. Loki reached out his vacant hand (the other one was still holding his hood). The man didn't say a word. He just reached into his pockets and took out a wallet. White and golden, very lady-like. Loki gave him a smile that looked nothing like a smile, before he let him go. "If you are going to steal… You should not seek to do it in front of the master." He said with a superior cock of his head. The second Loki let go his hood, the man ran off like he had the devil on his tale. Loki chuckled. "Why, I am truly a saint today."

"That guy was a thief?"

"Indeed. I just couldn't watch his amateur move being rewarded."

"You're not going soft, are you?" Tony laughed. Loki arched his eyebrows.

"If that is what you think of me, then I will keep this." He studied the wallet.

"Well, it does suit your style, except for the white."

"Shut up." Loki stood on his tippy-toes to look over the crowd. It looked weird. Loki was taller than most men. Tony felt more or less like a midget now. "There she is. Come on." Loki hurried after the owner of the wallet. Tony had to hold onto his cloak in order not to lose him. He couldn't see it, but it made Loki smile.

They made their way over to her.

"Madam? Madam?" Loki called to a young woman wearing a white coat. Tony wouldn't have called her 'madam' even if he got paid for it. After a few more calls, the woman turned around though. Loki reached out the wallet to her.

"You lost this." He said. If she had been able to see his true looks, she probably would've thought it was very romantic and asked him out for a drink. She looked like that type of girl. Tony was glad she didn't.

"Thank you so much." She took the wallet, and gave Loki a polite smile. Tony walked up to his side, to make sure it was clear that he was busy, and couldn't come with her to a hotel… Seriously, Tony? Was he getting jealous just because of this?

"My pleasure." Loki said, and offered her a gorgeous smile. Damn him. Why was she giving him that look? Could she see his real face? No, Loki wouldn't take that risk.

"Yes, merry Christmas. We have to go now." Tony heard himself say. Yes, he was definitely acting pathetic now. The woman didn't seem too keen on letting Loki go, but Tony pulled him away, and they soon got lost to her in the crowd. "She could see your real face, couldn't she?"

"No, of course not. Why?" Loki looked confused.

"Then why did she-" Tony stopped the sentence half way through. He was making a fool out of himself, he knew it.

"Thank me? Smile at me? I don't understand your problem." Was he going to make him say it? Sometimes, this guy was just…

"Why did she look at you like that then?" Tony didn't even know if Loki had heard him. But he had. He was so going to mock him.

"I have no idea. Maybe she finds fat, middle-aged men attractive?" he said with a smile. Tony was looking at his shoes, and was about to look up, when Loki's hand was on his head. He buried his fingers into his hair. "Now, now, don't be jealous. Although, it does become you." Tony was glad it was so cold, because his ears were pink. Not that Tony ever blushed. Of course he didn't.

Tony felt uncomfortable about not having JARVIS around, so he figured it was a good idea to call him to get an update on things at home.

_"Sir, as always, a great pleasure to hear your voice."_

"Yeah… Right. Just calling to hear if everything's alright at home."

_"Everything is fine sir. You have a couple of messages wishing you a good trip to Norway, and a lovely honeymoon."_ Tony chocked on nothing but the air he was trying to drag down into his lounges. He looked over at Loki, who… Yes, he had definitely heard that. The trickster was trying very hard to control his wicked laughter.

"I'm not on a honeymoon!"

_"Yes, I am aware, sir. But some people think you are in Norway with Pepper."_

"And they think I'm married just like that?"

_"Apparently."_

"Jesus…. Who are these people?"

_"Some I have deleted from your friend-list."_

"Good. And keep them off…"

_"I intend to."_

"You're being so bossy these days." Loki was still laughing.

_"Thank you sir. If that's all?"_

"Yeah." He hung up. Stupid JARVIS making him go on this trip! Loki's laughter had calmed down a little. Did he even know what a honeymoon was?

"I'm flattered, Stark, truly." He said.

"You're an ass." Loki just arched an eyebrow. "If this was a honeymoon, I wouldn't have chosen Norway." Tony face-palmed as soon as the words were said. "Not that I'm saying that this _is _a honeymoon! Because it isn't!" Loki just chuckled at his helplessness. Tony figured he kind of deserved it.

The next day they were finally on the plane. Tony almost felt at home in his jet. Not that he used it that much. But, this was one step closer to America. To Stark Mansion and JARVIS. To his suits and to his comfy bed.

When he thought about it, the trip hadn't been all bad. He had had a lot of fun, needless to say. Also, hotel-sex really was something else. He thought he had gotten a little closer to the god, if only just a little. He now thought (more than ever), that maybe, just maybe they could be friends.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"_Sir, the nightmare has begun." _JARVIS said. Tony arched an eyebrow.

"What nightmare?"

_"Christmas. We already have 467 messages wishing you a 'Merry Christmas' in different, more or less creative ways." _Oh, yeah. This was the time of year when all the people who had ever talked to Tony felt obligated to send him some form of note. He didn't remember half of them, and there was no way he had time to send anything back. Not even JARVIS had time for that.

"What should we do with them?"

_"I say delete them all." _Just deleting Christmas cards. Wow, JARVIS was so nice at this time of year.

"Can't you just send something back?"

_"I strongly object! If I am to write messages with the average amount of words you have received, I would spend 14.5 hours, and that's just with those you've gotten so far."_

"JARVIS, it's Christmas. It's not like you've got anything else to do. Now get to work." Tony had to laugh a little. Poor JARVIS. He had just received the dullest job in the world.

_"As you wish, sir." _

Since he had been gone for a week, he figured he should go to the base and see if there were any news, even though he knew there would be none.

"So, Tony, I heard you got a week off?" Tony was surprised to see Clint sitting on the couch. Wasn't he supposed to be babysitting the board?

"Yeah, JARVIS forced me to go to Norway on a conference." He answered. It was always fun to see how the archer reacted when Tony talked about JARVIS.

"JARVIS made _you _work for your company? Seriously, what monster have you created?" No, Hawkeye wasn't a big supporter of the software Tony had created.

"I'm beginning to wonder about that myself. But it was no big deal. It won't happen again though." Clint gave him a very skeptical look.

"That machine is plotting to kill you." Tony rolled his eyes. "Don't say I didn't warn you!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. But why are you back? Weren't you stationed… Somewhere top-secret?" Clint just shrugged his shoulders.

"Nah, Fury decided it was pointless. I tried to tell him that from the first day, but you know… One does not simply convince Fury that he's wrong." Tony could see that, and nodded.

"So, what are you going to do now?"

"Fury wants someone to go and live in Stark Tower, so I was gonna ask you if that's okay." Tony laughed.

"You know who's running that place, right?"

"No, who?" Really, Barton didn't know? Oh, that poor, poor man.

"JARVIS, obviously. But I guess it will be nice with some company, right?" He could see Clint turn just a little bit pale. Yes, he would definitely give JARVIS some instructions that would freak the archer even more out.

"Can't you turn him off while I'm there or something?"

"Nope, security would be down. Relax, you'll be fine. You might even like him!" Tony said, and Clint snorted even though it looked like he wanted to cry and beg Tony to reconsider.

"Why doesn't Fury ask _you _to stay in Stark Tower? It's your damn building!" Apparently Clint had decided that staying in the mentioned building wasn't as lucrative as he first had thought. The chance of Loki appearing there were certainly higher. Poor Hawkeye had a real dilemma. Getting to search for Loki, but having to spend time with his (probably) number one fear; JARVIS.

"I don't know. Ask him. But I think it has something to do with the fact that I can fly, gives you a huge advantage when you're patrolling."

"I think Fury hates me." Clint admitted. Yeah, that was probably true, but then again, Fury didn't like anybody – and nobody liked him. "He is _so _not invited to my birthday!" and with that threat Clint got up to leave.

"Give JARVIS my regards and tell him I told him to be nice to you." Clint flipped him off as he walked out of the room. Tony laughed. At least he could have some fun terrorizing their archer. No doubt he would move out of the building within a week. Hell, if he made a bet with JARVIS, the computer would be able to get him out in three days, tops. He was looking forward to Clint refusing to stay there, and explaining to Fury how he was afraid a psycho robot was going to mind-control him or kill him in his sleep.

"You are in a good mood this evening. Did something happen?" Christ, had Loki been in the room this whole time? He really hated it when he didn't give away his presence. It did add to his character that he noticed Tony's good mood though.

"You are so creepy, has anyone ever told you that?"

"You have told me so, many times. Now, answer my question." Tony rolled his eyes, and offered Loki a drink. It seemed rude to be drinking alone.

"Yes, I am in a good mood, you're right. You know agent Barton?" He wasn't sure if he should tell Loki about the reason for his good mood, but then again… Why not?

"Of course I remember my little servant. He was so obliging." Loki said, and smiled at the memories he had with the archer. Tony decided not to ask any questions.

"Well, he is moving into Stark Tower, and he is scared to death by JARVIS, so I'll have some fun."

"I do believe I'm a bad influence on you." Loki said with a little smile. Yes, that was true. But Tony would've done this anyway. "Frightening people is so much fun, is it not?"

"Yes, I'm glad we can bond over our desire to scare people."

"Yes, we have so much in common." Loki joked.

"Ey, I'm supposed to be a superhero you know? Don't ruin my reputation."

"No, you can take care of that quite well yourself." Damn this trickster, damn him.

Tony was surprised to wake up alone this morning. He was always the first one to wake up, as Loki was a heavier sleeper than himself. Or maybe the trickster just pretended to be asleep when Tony put his arm across his chest, or when he was so bold as to touch the silky, raven hair. However, this morning, Tony found himself alone in the master bed. He looked about the room, like he thought Loki could be hiding in a corner. The trickster was nowhere to be found, but there were clear signs that he had been there. Tony's sore body for one, but also the pile of green clothes neatly folded on a chair. Loki didn't wear the same clothes two days in a row, but this was still the first time he had left his clothes in Tony's room.

He got to his feet, and walked over to the pile. On the top was a piece of folded paper. It was brown-ish, and Tony had a feeling it was one of the pages from that book Loki was always reading. If it was, it had to be one of the empty pages, because nothing but a sentence was written on it. It was the first time he saw Loki's handwriting. It was very old-fashioned, and he reckoned Loki would have no problem in forging any ancient sources. But it was not the manner of Loki's writing that had his attention. It was what the message said. "Do not worry." Was all it said. Tony felt all the worry in the world instantly being shot right into his soul. Where was Loki? Had he left? What was he doing? When was he coming back? Was he even coming back?

So much for his 'good morning'. He couldn't even drink his coffee without spilling it all over. JARVIS freaked out a bit, because the coffee landed dangerously close to one of the alarm-buttons.

He was aware that Loki was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Of course he was, he was a god! And Tony shouldn't really be worrying about him in the first place, because he was the enemy. He had kind of given up on that. Ever since their trip to Norway, he had been thinking that fuck it. He had grown too attached to the trickster to think of him as his enemy anymore.

What bothered him the most was not knowing what he was doing, or where he was. This was the first time (as far as he knew), that Loki had left his house. He had a very unpleasant feeling that Loki was doing something evil, god knows he hadn't been living up to his reputation as a super villain.

When Tony thought he couldn't take the uncertainty anymore, Loki appeared in a puff of green smoke. He was wearing his armor, and his hair was a bit messy, but despite that he was smiling widely. He looked to be extremely pleased with himself, like had just scored a total of ten points on whatever he had been doing.

"Where the hell have you been?!" was the first thing Tony managed to get out. Loki was taken aback by his sudden outburst, but answered.

"I told you not to worry, did I not?"

"You can't just leave a note that tells me not to worry without saying something more!" Tony didn't really know why he was so upset. It wasn't like Loki was obligated to tell him where he was all the time. He was his guest, nothing more. Right now he sounded like an overprotective boyfriend. Oh shit he did not just think about Loki and him being in a romantic- No. No way in hell. He shook his head at the thought. Loki gave him a weird look.

"I had something to take care of." He explained, if you can call it that.

"And what was that?" Tony hated himself for asking. He shouldn't come off too pushy. He knew for sure Loki wouldn't like that. The god didn't seem to mind though.

"Not to worry. I did not harm anyone, I promise." Tony didn't really know how much his promise was worth, but managed to control himself enough not to interrogate him further on what he had been doing.

"You succeeded though, right?"

"Oh yes." Loki looked very pleased with himself again. "It was far easier than I had thought. It puts my mind at ease, now I feel much calmer. I should have done it before, but I did not know the whereabouts of my-" Loki muted himself, and looked shocked. Probably because he had said much more than he should've. Tony knew only two things, which weren't things, but people, that Loki called 'his'. It was Thor (his brother), and his mother. Had Loki done anything to them? Tony didn't like the thought of Thor being hurt, but then again, Loki had said he hadn't harmed anyone. Tony didn't know what to make of it all, but he thought he was better off not asking. "You look displeased. Did you really worry that much for me?" Loki's voice was soft again, and his face had that innocent look that made it impossible for Tony to think he could've done anything bad.

"I just thought you would go off and kill someone or something." Tony said, and he wasn't joking. Loki shook his head.

"Like I told you, no harm was done to anyone." How could Tony not believe him when he looked like that? Even though he came off so mighty and strong in his armor, that face was just the spitting image of truth. Had anyone ever told Loki how adorable he looked? Okay, Tony, holy fuck pull yourself together. This thing was getting out of control. First, he had found his company to be somewhat pleasing, then they had started sleeping together, and now… All he knew was that he had to get himself together and stop these feelings before their roots became too strong to rip out. "I came home in time to make dinner." Loki said with one of his peaceful smiles. And there it was again. Loki called this home. Home.

The next day Tony figured he should go to Stark Tower and see how Clint was doing. He could've asked JARVIS, but he wanted to see for himself. So he flew there an hour before his patrol.

He landed on the balcony and removed the suit. He wondered what Clint was doing. To Tony, the building was a paradise, but it probably wasn't the same for the archer.

"_Agent Barton, you have a visitor." _JARVIS said when Tony got inside. _"Agent Barton, please stop hiding behind the couch."_

"How do you know I'm behind the couch?!" Clint's angry/scared/freaked-out voice sounded from said place. Tony laughed, but let JARVIS do the answering.

"_Heat-vision and cameras, now, please come out."_

"No!" He sounded like a scared kid. Aw, poor Barton.

"Clint, it's okay, I'm here, JARVIS isn't going to hurt you." Tony said like it was part of a soap opera.

"Tony!" Barton jumped out from his hiding-place. He was pale and it looked like he hadn't slept at all since he had moved in. Had JARVIS really been that mean to him?

"JARVIS, what have you been doing to agent Barton?"

"_Nothing in particular, sir. I have been very civil. I merely want to get to know him better so that I may be of better service." _Clint got to his feet. He really looked traumatized.

"He keeps asking me all these questions!"

"_But agent Barton, I need a character-profile to be of better service." _

"I don't want a damn character-profile! I just want to sleep!" Clint looked angrily around the room, like he wanted to find JARVIS and shoot him.

"_Sir, I am terribly sorry you have to hear our fight." _JARVIS excused.

"No, not at all, don't mind me. I'll just be leaving."

"Don't fucking leave me!" Clint cried and hurried over to Tony to grab him by the arm.

"Pull yourself together. He's just a software, okay? He's not going to hurt you. I have lived with JARVIS for years, and I'm _fine_." It didn't seem to calm Clint at all. "Would you like some coffee?" The archer nodded, and Tony went to make coffee.

The coffee, which should've made him more agitated, somehow made Clint calmer. He and Tony drank in silence. If it was this hard for him to live here, Tony hoped Fury would let him leave soon. He didn't want the poor man's nerves to be permanently damaged. "You could just ask Fury to leave, you know? I could stay here, or Natasha?" Clint shook his head.

"Do you really think I'll walk up to Fury and say that I can't do the mission because I'm scared of JARVIS?" Yeah, it did sound rather stupid when he put it like that. Oh, but how fun it would be to watch. What kind of expression would Fury make? "Nah, man, I'll make it through. But can't you tell him something? Like, 'don't bother agent Barton', or something. He listens to your commands, doesn't he?"

"Yes, he does." Clint's puppy eyes looked at him, begging him to be reasonable, and it was too hard to resist those huge, scared eyes. "Alright, alright. JARVIS!"

"_Yes, sir?"_

"Don't bother agent Barton anymore."

_"Of course not sir, that was never my intention."_

"No, like, don't bother him at all."

_"As you wish, sir." _Clint sank down in his chair, and sighed in relief.

"Thanks." He muttered. Tony gave him a smile and finished his coffee. He was about to get up and leave, since everything seemed to be fine now, but Clint stopped him again. "Tony, I was wondering if you could do me a favor…" he said, like he suddenly remembered. When Clint wanted something it was usually very expensive, or very difficult to obtain.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes! You know that anti-magic-shit that Thor gave us?" Tony nodded, and he kind of knew where this was going.

"You should totally make me some arrows with that in the tip. You know, if I just get Loki within my sight… Baw! Problem solved." He imitated how cool he would look when he shot Loki. It was a good idea, but hadn't Clint already gotten plenty of anti-magic-arrows? And why did Tony have to be the one to make the arrows?

"It's a good idea, but I thought Fury already gave you some?"

"Yeah, he did, but I kind of… Used them. There was this statue you see, and it looked just like Loki! And every time I passed it I kind of… Shot it. And now Mr. My-shit-is-too-expensive-to-be-played-with doesn't wanna give me more arrows."

"Well, there goes your plan." Tony said, glad to be out of it.

"No, you see…I was thinking that maybe you and Bruce could take some of the liquid he is using and just apply it to some of my arrows…" oh here we go. Tony shrugged his shoulders. It wasn't a hard task, and it would be nice to do something else than patrol for once.

"I guess we could. Why don't you just ask Bruce?" Clint shook his head.

"Last time I asked him for something, it kind of… Destroyed a lot of houses. And cars. And a bridge. I figured if you asked him he would be more willing." Tony rolled his eyes. At least now he could spend some time with the doctor, who he hadn't talked to for days.

Bruce took kindly to the idea of them working together. Steve offered them his assistance, only to be turned down (most kindly). He looked very disappointed not to get an excuse to get away from his fanclub for a couple of hours. But someone had to patrol while Tony was doing this.

When they got started, Tony realized the task wouldn't take long. With things going as well as this, he would get home early.

Everything would've gone even faster if they weren't constantly surrounded by a very eager and very helpful Clint. He was literally everywhere, and it felt like they were being attacked by a whole army of hawks. Banner gave a relived sigh when Natasha finally showed up (a few hours too late), and dragged Clint out of the lab.

"This is a place for geniuses, you don't belong here." She said in a supportive voice, like she was talking to a special child.

"Just call me if you need anything! Seriously! Anything! I'll be in the—" He shouted as the door closed.

"Did someone give him speed?" Tony said with a little laugh. Oh, how he had missed spending time with his team. He ignored the guild that tried to make his stomach hurt.

"No, I think he is just very eager to catch Loki. You know how it is, with that mind-control and all." Yeah, that was true. It had taken quite some time for the archer to get over it.

"How did he snap out of it anyway?" that knowledge could come in handy. If Loki decided he wasn't a good enough host.

"I think Natasha hit him in the head."

"Ah, that explains it! That's why he's so…" they looked at each other, trying to find a word that could describe agent Clint Barton. It ended in silence.

It took them less than a day to make the arrows Barton had ordered. The liquid could (just like Thor said), be mixed with water, so it was no problem. And from there on it was child's play.

Tony washed his hands and looked at the clock. Yes, he was definitely going home early today. Some of the liquid had spilled on his fingers, but it was easily removed by soap. It was a while since he had gotten his fingers dirty. He needed to do more work and not just spend time with Loki when he was home.

His resolve to work on his suits was soon crushed.

"Welcome back." Loki said from by the sink, and gave him a relaxed smile. He had his fingers in hot soapy water, and appeared to be washing another plate. Tony didn't repeat his question about why he didn't just use magic.

"What's for dinner?" Tony asked and walked over to Loki.

"Depends on what you want. Maybe you want some of that Norwegian fish you were so thrilled about." Loki joked. So he was in that kind of mood today.

"You know what I like."

"Yes. Lucky for you I'm so obliging." Yes, Tony was very lucky to be living with such an amazing cook. He wondered what it would've been like if Loki couldn't cook. They both would've died from lack of vitamin months ago.

Since the mood was so good, Tony felt brave, and reached out his hand to touch Loki's arm. It was okay to touch him sometimes, and this was a perfect example of such a time. But as soon as his fingers came in contact with Loki's cold skin, it happened.

"What did you do to me!?" Loki stumbled, barely managing to keep his balance. His eyes flooded over with tears black as oil. He looked furious. He backed away from Tony, and had to lean on the table for support. "You actually had the nerve to slip me something?!" the anger in his voice was failing, as his body started giving up. Tony didn't know what the hell was going on. He did know one thing: He had not drugged Loki.

"Loki I didn't-" Loki fell to the floor, unable to keep himself standing any longer.

"Stay away from me... you... Traitor." at the last word, black liquid came running down from his mouth. Tony didn't know why, but the word hurt like hell. He kneeled down beside him, even though Loki tried to pull away.

"I didn't do anything!" Tony tried. Loki was shaking violently. His pale skin painted black with the blood or oil or whatever it was. His eyes sparkled weakly, obviously trying to gather magic.

"Do not underestimate me! Don't you think I know what this is?" Tony grabbed his shoulders, trying to hold him still, and calm him. Or maybe he wanted to comfort him. Holding Loki down was harder than he thought. His inhuman strength working against him. Tony wrapped his arms around him. He had held him before, but not like this. Loki grabbed his hand, almost crushing it. God he was cold. Tony wondered if he should do something other than just hold him. Loki had to be in pain, seeing as his body was shaking like he was having a seizure. His breath was uneven. He was probably having a hard time breathing. Tony didn't say anything, he just kept his arms around him.

Loki soon stilled, his body relaxed, and he just became sort of limp in Tony's arms. He had to be exhausted.

"What did you do to me?" Loki repeated his words from before, but he was too worn out to sound furious, even though he should be. Whatever had just happened, Loki clearly blamed Tony for.

"I didn't do anything. I promise."

"Then how did Odin's magic reach me?" Loki hissed. Tony suddenly understood what had happened. It had to be when he was making the arrows. The liquid that had spilled on his fingers. Could that be enough to trigger such a reaction in Loki? His expression apparently gave away his thoughts, because Loki narrowed his eyes. "You know what happened, do you not? Let go of me!" he tried to get out of Tony's arms, but failed. His body was totally drained of any physical strength, and he was helpless. That didn't change anything though, because he was still determined to get away from Tony. For once Tony was the superior in strength, and he would not let him go until he had cleared things up. He didn't know why, but the thought of Loki not trusting him felt heavy in his chest. Loki probably didn't trust him in the first place, but now he saw him as a… traitor? Was that not what he had said?

"I was making some arrows for agent Barton." Tony knew he was betraying intel to Loki, but he couldn't help himself. "We got some anti-magic shit from Thor, and Barton wanted me to put it into his arrows so that if he ever saw you he could… Put you out. Some of it got on my fingers…" He didn't have to say more, because Loki understood. Whether he believed him though, that was a different matter.

"So you're telling me it was an accident? You did not mean to cripple my magic?" he asked, slowly. His expression was collected, and he had stopped struggling to get out of his arms. It almost looked like Loki wanted to believe him.

"That's right! I didn't want to get that shit near you!" Tony bit his lip. Now he sounded a bit too loyal, didn't he? Loki furrowed his brows.

"I am your enemy. Why would you not help your friends capture me?" Heaven knew that was a good question. Tony knew the rational answer, even though he hesitated to say it to Loki.

"I can't be sure that they can keep you captive. If anything should happen to Pepper—"

"You are concerned regarding my threat?" Loki smiled a sly smile. Then he sighed. "Now that you have seen how well this works on me, I doubt you will find any need to fear me when I am crippled of my magic." He did have a point. If indirect contact with the liquid made him this weak, how would the real deal be like? Still, was it worth the risk?

Tony knew he was lying to himself. It wasn't because of Pepper that he refused to betray Loki. It wasn't even out of some twisted kind of loyalty. It had no other explanation than the fact that he didn't want to.

"I…" Tony didn't know what he should say, so he let his voice die out. They both fell into silence. Loki's breathing had calmed down, and it almost felt like he was relaxing in his arms. Of course that was just because his body was limp.

"I suppose it would be foolish of me to stay here now that you know of my weakness." Loki mumbled. Tony felt his heart sink. So Loki would be leaving. He didn't like the thought of it. Not at all. When had he become this attached to the sorcerer?

"Yeah, it would."

"I better leave as soon as I am recovered. Unless you want to take me to SHIELD right away. I doubt I will be able to walk on my own for the next two hours."

"Yeah, maybe I should do that." Tony tightened his hold on him without really being aware of it.

"Then all your troubles will be forgotten." Loki closed his eyes. Tony didn't know if he was too tired to keep then open, or if he was giving up.

"It would certainly make my life easier." Tony answered. He was distracted by his own heart, which was beating faster and faster by the thought of turning Loki in. "But I won't do it." He said without thinking. Loki opened his eyes again, and looked at him with confusion.

"Why?" Good question. Good fucking question.

"Because I don't want to." Tony answered. It sounded dumb and childish, and he doubted Loki would even believe him. But an amused smile danced on Loki's lips.

"Have you grown fund of me?"

"No, I just… Who would make me food? I'm gonna die of lack of protein if I order pizza every day." It was the best way of getting away from the question he could come up with. Loki laughed a tired laugh.

"Indeed. I doubt we can eat until midnight. My magic require rest, and so does my body."

"What should I do?" Tony felt stupid for asking, but he didn't really know how to handle Loki's limp and somewhat heavy body. He couldn't very well sit here until midnight could he?

"I suggest you carry me to my bed, mortal, and I might grant you with something to eat later." Loki's voice wasn't fitting to his words. He didn't sound evil or demanding or even superior. It was weird that he bothered when he was so tired, but Loki was joking. However, Tony did oblige him.

Even though Loki's body was slim, and even though he looked really skinny without his armor, he was still heavy. It was probably because he was so tall. Tony barely managed to carry him to his bedroom. "I cannot imagine what it must be like to be trapped in such a useless body." Loki said.

"Shut up! I'm stronger than you right now!" Tony hissed. Damn this tall, useless sorcerer!

"Yes, I grant you that, but do you really think that is something to be bragging about? I can't even stand up." Tony didn't answer to that. "And I will be superior in an hour or two."

"Didn't you say that you would be able to just walk in a couple of hours?" Tony was finally by the bed, and dropped Loki very ungracefully down on it. Loki sneered at him.

"Handling me with a bit more respect would be good! Don't you know who I am?" Tony made a face.

"At least I didn't leave you on the floor!"

"Now, now, let's not argue. We wouldn't want you to exert yourself any further." Loki mocked Tony's heavy breathing. He probably should get in better shape.

"I'm gonna start throwing shit at you very soon!"

"Are you positive you want to vex me?" Loki said with a small laugh, but his eyes were lidded.

"You don't look very frightening."

"I am aware." Tony didn't say anything to that. He wanted to find something to throw at him. It would be funny, seeing as Loki couldn't dodge. But the god's slow, steady breathing put him off the thought. He had fallen asleep.

He left the room. As he closed the door silently, he smiled. This was so silly. Loki could call it mockery or whatever he wanted, but Tony knew what it was called on earth. That had been flirting. And why was he standing here grinning like an idiot? He wiped the smile off his face and went to… Do something that would take his mind off thoughts of Loki.

Tony returned to Loki's room around midnight, because the god had said that he would be able to make food then. It appeared he had been overestimating his powers, because he seemed to be in a deep sleep. Tony didn't wake him up, he did deserve to rest. He could just order some take away.

It wasn't often that Tony got to take care of someone. He wasn't a person people depended on in emergencies. Maybe that was the reason he sat down in the chair in the corner, and watched over Loki as he slept.

The trickster normally slept on his side, curled up. Tony knew this because he had watched him sleep many times, as creepy as that may sound. Right now, Loki was lying in the exact same position as Tony had left him.

He had been sitting there for… Well, he hadn't really kept track of the time, but it could be something like half an hour. That's when Loki started shaking and turning. His fingertips sparkled weakly. Was it a natural response to his magic returning? Tony didn't know. His breath had become uneven, and was he actually mumbling something? It sounded like he was having a nightmare. Should he wake him?

That wasn't necessary, because Loki suddenly sat up, wide-eyed and panting. He looked about the room, until he saw Tony. He calmed himself, forcing his breath into a normal pattern.

"A nightmare?" Tony asked, and walked over to the bed, sitting down. He didn't know if Loki wanted him there, but at least he would offer his support. He never imagined Loki to be one to have nightmares. Was there anything he was afraid of in the first place? Tony couldn't imagine anything more frightening than himself. Well, perhaps apart from Fury on one of his really, really bad days. Loki was sweating, his skin shining in the green light from his eyes. Oh, that meant he had regained at least some magic. The trickster shook his head.

"I would not call that a nightmare. It was more of a… Well, I dream about it quite often." He said. He was a bit hoarse, and Tony handed him a glass of water, which he drank.

"What did you dream about?" Tony took the glass from him. He could see that he was still weak.

"Drowning." Loki said with a small smile. There wasn't many things about Loki that Tony understood. But he did know what it felt like to dream about drowning. How many times had he dreamt about that after he returned from captivity? He remembered the feeling of water filling his lounges. The pain. But why was Loki smiling? There was no use trying to understand. The whole of Loki was one big mystery, and he had a feeling he would never figure him out. Since there was no point in asking, he decided to offer some more service instead. It was his fault that Loki had gotten exposed to the poison in the first place. Not that he could've known that indirect contact could do that to him.

"Can I get you anything? Is there something you want?" Tony asked, drawing a tired smile from the other.

"Take my hand." Loki said, reaching out his hand. Tony hesitated at the odd request, but took it. It was as cold as ever. Loki smiled. "As I thought, you are clean of the poison." Shit, what if he hadn't been? "Were you frightened?" Loki whispered, because he was too tired to speak, or maybe for another reason.

"Yeah, a bit." Tony admitted, because seeing Loki like that hadn't been pleasant.

"Are you afraid of me?"

"Not really." He honestly wasn't. He didn't think Loki was going to hurt him.

"Then you are a fool. I am dangerous." Loki pulled him closer with what little strength he had. Tony noticed he was weaker than his usual self, but still stronger than him. "You see… Nothing good ever happens to me." What did he mean by that? Tony wanted to ask him, but didn't get the time, because the god had fallen asleep. He still held his hand. One thing was for sure – Loki was a very complicated person. He wasn't 'just evil and crazy', like the team and Fury thought. He had been of the same opinion, but that was before he got to know him this well.

Tony felt a bit pathetic, where he stood in the kitchen, trying to understand the recipe JARVIS was repeating to him over and over again.

_"No sir, not that much sugar!"_

"JARVIS, I'm the cook, remember?" Tony had taken upon himself to make a cake for the knocked-out sorcerer. It was almost two days since he had been poisoned, and he hadn't woken up since their little talk. So, because Tony was a very gracious host, he was going to make a cake. When Loki tasted it (if he did), he would probably think Tony was trying to poison him again. Oh well, he meant it well at least.

When he was done mixing all the ingredients together, it tasted like it should. Tony hadn't baked anything in ages, so he was already quite proud of himself. Now to leave it in the oven for forty minutes, and it would be done. That wasn't so hard. Maybe he had been drunk that one time he had tried to cook. Perhaps he wasn't that bad after all.

With a little boost of confidence (everybody knows Tony Stark doesn't really need more confidence than he has), he went to see if Loki had woken up. It wasn't much of a point with the cake if the sorcerer wasn't up to taste it. JARVIS called something after him from the kitchen, but he had had enough of his nagging.

The room was dark and warm as usual. "Loki?" he said, softly, not to startle him in case he was awake. Loki didn't answer for a few seconds, and Tony thought he was still sleeping.

"Yes?" It sounded like he could use some more water. Tony moved closer and handed him the glass. It was like taking care of someone who was sick. He decided he like to be the one on the caring side. It was nice to be needed.

"How are you feeling?" He sat down on the bed, and wondered if he should put a hand on Loki's forehead to check for a fever.

"Better." He said after drinking the water. "I believe you don't understand how it feels to be powerless. It is very… Unpleasant for me to be this weak when I'm normally so…"

"Strong." Tony finished for him, because ey, Loki was strong.

"Yes, and it is also a bit embarrassing, I must say." He smiled a weak smile. Tony was looking forward to seeing him smile like he normally did again. How long would it take him to get passed this? "At least now I know what lays in store for me if SHIELD ever finds out where I am." He seemed calm, and Tony almost thought he had found a way to deal with the poison. He shouldn't be surprised if he had, this was Loki after all.

"So, how strong is your magic now?"

"It is almost restored to its former state." Loki informed him. That was good. Then things could go back to normal, if anything about their situation could be called 'normal'.

"And you're not like, really mad at me? You're not gonna blow my head off or something?" He would understand it if Loki was pissed at him, but the god just laughed a tired laugh.

"No, you did say it was not your intention to cripple my magic, and I believe you." he gave himself a sympathetic smile, like he pitied himself for trusting Tony.

"Like I would call off dinner like that. Speaking of food, are you hungry?" Loki nodded. "I made cake, or I'm making cake. It's in the oven. It's done in like half an hour or so." Loki looked astonished.

"I thought you said your cooking was terrible?"

"It is, but I think I did it this time, and I figured I shouldn't push you with food and stuff, since you've been in bed for the last 48 hours."

"I don't know if I should be touched by your concern, or insulted by your lack of faith in my magical strength." He answered with a smile, and it was stronger this time. Loki pushed himself further . Tony moved away so that he could swing his legs out of the bed. He was wearing the same clothes for two days now, and knowing Loki as the diva he was, he probably wanted to change. Tony blinked, and in that split second, Loki had put on new clothes. Magic was so awesome, Tony was jealous.

Like he was morning the loss of his magic, he was dressed fully in black. His silk shirt had an opening on each side, with silk laces going across. Tony could totally see his ribs through them. The bronze that normally decorated his arms was gone, and replaced with something that looked like burnt metal. Loki looked down on his arms, discontent.

"Odin is so gloomy. See what his magic does to my clothes?" He said in a frustrated tone, while shaking his head. "I was going to dress in green, but all of this is black." He sighed.

"You do look good in black though." Tony said. He wasn't fully comfortable about complimenting Loki's looks, so for a second he felt awkward, but it did seem to help on the sorcerer's mood, so then again it was all good.

"I do like black, but green if my absolute preference."

"And bronze, silver, and gold." Tony added.

"I am royal, so, naturally." Loki said with one of those smiles that just screamed that he was better than everyone else. Which, in some ways, he was. He dragged his fingers through his hair, putting it more into place. And just like that, he looked as good as always. He wasn't that weak, broken thing that had been lying in Tony's bed, dreaming about… Drowning? Wasn't that what he had said?

When they left the room, they were met by the smell of burnt cake. Burnt. Cake. Holy fuck why was it burnt? Tony ran to the stove to open it and save the day, but it was too late. The cake looked like a black, miss-formed…Something.

Loki gave him a skeptical look.

"JARVIS, what the hell? Didn't you say 40 minutes?"

_"Like I kept telling you sir, you set the oven on 350 degrees, when it's supposed to be 180. It's not my fault that you wouldn't listen." _Ah, so that had been what he had yelled at him.

"You could've tried harder!" He knew he was being a bit unfair now, but the mocking smile that Loki now was giving him was the reason for that.

_"Sir, please restrain yourself from running away from the blame." _Tony looked at the cake, then to Loki, and back at the cake.

"Are we not going to eat it?" Loki asked with a small smile, as he sat down by the kitchen table, ready to be served the 'cake' (it didn't look or smell, and probably didn't taste like a cake).

"I don't think it's eatable." The god looked disappointed.

"Why not give it a try? I doubt it will kill me." Tony seriously had second thoughts about that, but he cut out two pieces and put them on plates.

Loki studied the cake with interest. It was burnt pretty badly. He poked it a little bit with the fork, to find out that it was hard as rock. Never the less, he managed to get a piece of it loose with his fork, and ate it.

By his expression, Tony could see that it tasted just as bad as it looked. But then Loki shrugged his shoulders. "Not the worst thing I have tasted." He said, supporting Tony's upcoming career as a baker. Tony wasn't strong enough to use the fork, so he just took a bite out of it. Then he spat it out. It tasted like ash.

"I will never make anything, ever again." Tony decided. Loki gave him a look that said that he pitied him a bit, then he tapped his fingers on the plate.

"Try it now." Tony knew that he had altered the taste, because you know, his magic was awesome.

It now tasted like a cake, and not just any cake, a really good cake. Strawberries and vanilla and something he couldn't quite make out what was. "You see, with a little help, you can make food too." He said with a superior smile dancing across his lips.

"Yeah, but you can make anything taste good. Cheater." Tony mumbled.

"Cheater?" Loki raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, cheater. I bet you couldn't make a cake any better than me if you had to do it without using magic." Loki hesitated for a moment, clearly thinking through how that would work out.

"Oh, but I think I could." Tony gave him a 'I-don't-believe-you'-look. Loki got up from the chair, picking up the challenge. "Machine."

_"Yes, Loki?" _JARVIS loyally answered.

"I will rely on you to tell me where the ingredients and tools for baking are." Loki sounded like a general telling his troops what to do.

_"At your service." _Tony just sat there, blinking dumbly. He hadn't expected Loki to take it that seriously. And who would've thought he would actually _do _it?

With help from JARVIS, Loki had put everything he needed on the kitchen bench. _"Would you like a recipe?" _JARVIS offered, but Loki shook his head.

"No, I know what to make. The only problem is to find out what earthly-ingredients answer to those of Asgard."

_"I'm afraid I cannot help you there." _Loki didn't answer, he just started cracking three eggs into the bowl. He almost messed up the first one, because he was much stronger than one needs to be to crack an egg. Tony wondered what kind of eggs they had in Asgard.

"Then, I suppose this?" He looked at the sugar, and poked it with his finger to taste. It was clearly what he needed it, because he poured a whole lot of it into the bowl. Was he just going to take as much as he thought it should be? "Machine, I am in need of butter in liquid form, how should I go about to transform it? I see no fireplace." It was very odd, seeing Loki so totally out of his comfort zone, and asking questions about things that every normal person knew the answer to.

_"I suggest using the stove. Turn one of the heaters to 5, and use a pan." _Loki did as instructed, not hesitating at all. He was a fast learner, Tony knew that.

After a surprisingly short amount of time, he was done.

"Want to have a taste?" Loki asked, tuning to Tony, who was still sitting there on the chair, just watching the trickster work.

"Yeah, sure." Loki put two long fingers into the bowl, dipping them into it. When he figured it was enough, he took them out, and turned back to Tony. He arched his eyebrows, clearly saying 'well, open up'. Tony hadn't really been expecting to lick his fingers, but quite naturally didn't complain.

Loki's cold fingers found their way into his mouth, and he sucked on them. Yeah, that tasted really good. If it had the same taste when it was done, it would be a success. Loki pulled out his fingers, now full of Tony's saliva.

"Now, was it any good?"

"Yes, really good." Loki smiled. Tony noticed that he hadn't been able to lick Loki's finger without getting turned on. Damn. It didn't look like the trickster had noticed though. He was just looking at his sticky fingers, before putting them into his own mouth. And yes, Loki licking his own fingers was hot. He was so doing that on purpose, Tony thought.

It took Loki quite some time to figure out how long his cake was going to be in the oven, but after a long discussion with JARVIS, he ended on half an hour.

"Now, all we need to do is wait, and you will soon see that I am fully capable of baking without the use of magic." Loki was sparkling with confidence, which was fair enough.

It was already dark outside, and it had begun snowing. Loki was standing by the window, looking out. From what Tony could see of his face, he could see how discontent Loki was with the weather.

"You don't like snow, huh?" He said, coming up at Loki's side.

"No." Was the answer. They just stood there for a while, looking out at the snow, and smelling the scent of the cake. Tony got a very Christmas-like feeling, which he hadn't gotten in years. He had never cared much for the holiday, because he didn't have any traditions, and he had always been alone. He had figured he should be celebrating it with Pepper this year, you know, Christmas was one of those times when you're awfully sweet to your girlfriend and so on. He looked at Loki. When the trickster showed up in his workshop that day, he never would've thought it would become like this. He had been sure he was going to have a heart attack the first week. He smiled at how things had changed. "What?" Loki wasn't even looking at him, but he had still noticed him smiling.

"No, I was just getting into Christmas mood, that's all." Loki turned to him.

"That festival you told me about in Norway? You celebrate it too?"

"Not really. I would've done it with Pepper, but that's out of the question now…" He trailed off. He didn't really know why he was uncomfortable with talking about Pepper with Loki. It wasn't like he was going to do anything to her.

"Because she left you." Loki said with a sly smile.

"Yes she did, thanks for reminding me! Ass." Loki chuckled. They fell into a silence that wasn't uncomfortable.

"I hate snow." Loki said.

"Yeah, me too."


End file.
